Ghost of Oblivion
by Cori Shadowfang
Summary: Eris never intended to become a servant to Yveltal. When a honedge attaches itself to her arm, she's forced to seek aid from the destruction pokemon, who offers his assistance in exchange for her help: turning her into the natural disaster he can no longer be.
1. In Your Hand

_So. I didn't figure my next full-series fan fiction would be a Pokemon story. I blame several things for this: 1. General stress from school that needs to be let out. 2. I've been playing X and Y, and have come up with some very amusing ideas. But as a result, you now have this. Some things I should probably cover before the story starts:_

_ 1. A _**bolded **_word in the course of a story means a time or perspective change._

_ 2. God-willing, this story will be updated weekly._

_ 3. A lot of the pokemon in this story probably won't have nicknames, at least not at first. Therefore, there are times when their species names will be lowercase, and then times when they'll be uppercase. (Like 'my mom' versus 'Mom.')_

_Well, those things being said, read on, and I hope you enjoy._

**Chapter One: In Your Hand**

Eris stepped off the plane, a sigh escaping her lips. "Finally in Kalos." She hiked her backpack closer, checking her watch. She pulled her phone out of her pants pocket, speed-dialing her mom.

The phone on the other end rang twice before her mother picked up. "Hi, honey! How was your flight? Are you almost at the college?"

"It was good. I'm still in the airport." She looked out across from it towards the sprawling area. "Lumiose City looks so big, and I haven't even seen all of it yet."

Her mother laughed. "Well, I'm sure it'll be fine." She heard talking on the other end, and her mother added, "Have to go. Call me when you're settled in, alright?"

The dial tone blared in her ear, and she sighed, pulling the phone away. "Always the same, huh, mom?"

Eris made her way through the crowd, picking up her suitcase and hurrying out of the building, silently praying that she'd be able to find the college in the maze of the city. She brushed against various people, pokemon clinging to their shoulders or walking along beside them.

She was so busy trying to struggle through the crowd that she didn't notice the man until she'd run into him. She yelped, and the two of them sprawled across the ground in a heap, her luggage flying everywhere. "I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, righting herself quickly and extending a hand to the man.

"It's not a problem; you shouldn't worry." The man looked up, and Eris was suddenly aware of how strange he looked. He wore a form-fitting, elegant suit, his red hair sweeping out and up on either side, an equally-red beard capping his chin. He accepted her hand, arching an eyebrow. "You're staring. Is there something wrong?"

Jolted out of her stupor, Eris shook her head. "No. You just startled me, is all."

The man eyed her, then looked away, commenting, "It seems you've lost your luggage. Let me help you pick it up."

"It's no trouble." But she didn't protest any further as he bent down and helped her pick up her scattered belongings.

He lifted a book. "These are some interesting books. Mythologies of the various regions?"

She took the book from the man self-consciously. "It's one of my courses. I'm going to the college here."

"I see. I don't suppose you've heard Kalos's myth?"

"I haven't started reading my texts yet."

The man smiled oddly, but didn't elaborate on what he'd said, instead simply helping her finish gathering up her belongings. "Would it be too much trouble to catch your name, miss?"

"Eris."

"Eris," he repeated. "It was nice to meet you." He took off abruptly, leaving Eris to stand alone, people and pokemon filing past her and her luggage in her hand.

Finally she shook her head. _That was weird._ Still, she supposed, it could be worse. Checking her watch and nearly panicking when she realized how late it was, she hurried out of the airport.

Outside, Eris found herself greeted by bright light and a cacophony of noise. She squinted, wishing she could do the same for her ears, and waited for both to adjust. When they did, she was greeted with the sight of yet more people, a few small pokemon - skiddo, she reminded herself - sleeping on the sidewalks, and tall buildings as far as she could see.

She shook herself and headed off down the street.

Eris made her way between buildings and through alleyways. She stopped in a large, open square, sighing, her shoulders sagging, when she realized she'd managed to get herself lost. "Well, I can check my map. Or maybe there's someone around here who could tell me where to go." She settled onto a bench, sliding off her backpack and reaching into it to draw out her map.

Something brushed against her arm as she pulled the map out. She looked over, frowning when she saw something that looked oddly like a sword propped on the side of the bench. _Who would leave a sword lying around? Is that even legal?_ She picked it up, staring at the pale bronze and gray. _Who uses swords still, anyways? Don't most people just use pokemon?_ She sighed, standing, slipping her backpack on. "I guess I'd better take this to the police station."

The length of blue cloth attached to the hilt reached up, wrapping itself around her arm.

Eris yelped, releasing the sword. It dangled from the cloth, slicing back and forth through the air like a pendulum. Her mind winged back to her lessons on the pokemon of the Kalos region, and she cursed herself for her stupidity. _Honedge._ A pokemon shaped like a sword that would attach itself to unsuspecting humans and drain their energy. She tried to pry off the cloth, looking around frantically for assistance, but, much to her dismay, it appeared this was one of the few places where she was unable to find a person.

_ "Hone."_

Eris stopped her struggling, looking at the dangling sword pokemon. The blue eye in its hilt shifted, almost seeming to glow as it focused on something across from them. Following its gaze, she saw two almost-identical blue flecks of light staring at her from an alley. She froze, watching as the figure slowly made its way out of an alley. _An absol._

The absol examined her, its eyes glittering with an uncanny intelligence, then lowered the scythe on the side of its head, barking out something. Eris backed away, trying to remember what little she knew about absol. _The disaster pokemon. It comes just before disasters strike, right?_ "Is something bad going to happen?" She pointed to the honedge. "Does it have something to do with this?"

The absol snorted, seeming for all the world as if it were unimpressed, then lunged forward. Eris yelped, stumbling back as the scythe on its head glowed a vibrant purple as it slashed down towards her.

A clang resounded through the air. Eris blinked, realizing the honedge had reacted to Absol's attack. It had shot through the air, parrying the scythe and forcing Absol to fly a short distance backwards. The dark-type pokemon landed easily, scratching its claws across the ground to slow it down and barking out a sound at the honedge.

The sword's eye turned to Eris, the blade hovering horizontally above the ground. _"Hone."_ It nudged her hand with its pommel.

The idea of what it wanted came into her mind. She couldn't hide her disbelief. "You want me to fight with you?"

It nudged her hand again as answer.

_ "Absol!"_

Absol's cry caught her attention, and she saw it charging again. She grabbed onto Honedge's hilt, swinging wildly. Absol ducked to the side, running around behind her, its footsteps near silent. Eris spun around, trying to follow it. _What do I do? I don't know how to sword fight!_

Honedge answered for her, dragging her around. Her arm felt like it was about to be torn out of its socket as the sword pokemon slashed at the scythe that tried to strike them, parrying twice before Absol had to jump back. Instead of charging again, as Eris had expected, wind whipped into a frenzy around the dark pokemon. Eris backpedaled, knowing a razor wind attack was coming and looking frantically for a place where she'd be able to escape the wrath of the attack.

_ "Scccreee!"_

Eris hardly had time to look up before two large claws had wrapped around her shoulders. A flurry of wing beats and wind buffeted her as she and the honedge still attached to her were lifted into the air.

** Absol **heard the familiar screech and nearly panicked. _No!_ The noviern descended, claws stretching for the girl. In desperation Absol released his razor wind, hoping to cut the beast out of the sky before it could escape. The dragon hissed in response, lifting himself higher, too high for his attacks to reach. Absol charged after him anyways, running desperately through the square, breaking into an alley, attempting to jump the height of buildings that were too high for him.

He was forced to stop when the alley gave way to streets, filled with people and pokemon that would panic at his presence. He glared after the noivern, now only a speck in the sky, then trudged back into the deeper shadows of an alley. _I was so close. But it appears my hunch was correct._ He'd tracked that honedge for days, the tingling in the tip of his scythe indicating it may be the cause of great destruction. Now that one of Yveltal's minions had come to grab the girl - and, by extension, the sword - he knew he'd been correct in his fear. _But why send such a high-ranking soldier for it?_ His scythe ached, and he scratched it against a building, the sound producing a high-pitched shriek. _Bad times are coming for Kalos, I fear._

* * *

_Well, that's the end of the first chapter. Let me know what you think! Anything I need to work on, fix, ect? Anything you liked? Feel free to drop a review._


	2. Take This Sword

_Alright, so chapter two is done. I'm discovering the longer I take Creative Writing as a class, the more I want to keep things and edit the crap out of them…_

_Anywho, thank you to a guest and Y-ko for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Two: Take This Sword**

Eris dangled from the claws of the pokemon - she'd finally been able to recognize it as a noivern - and stared down at the land moving below her. Once she'd realized that neither the noivern nor the honedge were going to hurt her, she'd been able to calm down and try to rationalize what was happening. Unfortunately, she found herself unable to. _Why would a noivern carry me off? Why would an absol attack me? _She looked at the honedge and released a hollow laugh. _I've only been in Kalos a little while, and I've already been through some pretty weird things._

She tilted her head back to look up at the noivern. "Hey! Where are we going?"

The noivern ignored her, studiously continuing forward.

Eris sighed, slumping and resigning herself to a long flight.

After a time the trees gave way to barren terrain, at the edge of which rested a mountain. She wondered if that's where they were heading, her suspicions being confirmed when the noivern dipped towards it, its wing beats hastening the closer they got.

Suddenly the dragon pokemon back-winged, its feet flying forward. Eris yelped as she was released, flying through the air a moment before landing inside a cave, skidding across stones. Honedge trailed across the ground beside her, hardly protesting except for something that could be considered a groan.

Eris pushed herself to her feet, the action a bit awkward with Honedge still keeping a tight grip on her right arm. She turned to the entrance, jumping as Noivern landed with a clatter of rocks. It opened its mouth, making an odd sound like a cross between a shriek and a roar. She backed away; even figuring the pokemon wasn't interested in hurting her, the sound combined with the imposing form was frightening. It took a few steps forward, growling. "What?" she protested. "I'm sorry, I can't understand pokemon; I don't know what you want." It growled, taking another step forward, its wings braced against the ground to allow it to fit in the small space.

With the rumbling growl of the pokemon surrounding her, Eris glanced back. At the rear of the cave was a pit of darkness, stretching back out of sight. _Is that a tunnel?_ She cast an uncertain glance back at the noivern, who was pressing up uncomfortably behind her, and began her walk into the shadows.

Her footsteps echoed through the corridor, sounding too loud against her ears. She traced a hand along the wall, the rock rough beneath her hands. Honedge clinked against the side on occasion, making her start, at which point the noivern behind her would release an agitated growl. Her eyes blinked, but for the longest time ached from seeing nothing but darkness.

Eventually the eternal black was broken by a faint gleam of red. "That's where we're going?" she asked, though she didn't expect an answer.

When she first stepped foot out of the tunnel and into the cave, she stopped, frozen for a moment. The walls arched up in a high, dome-like covering. Fragments in the brown rock pulsed with a faint red light, illuminating the room just enough so that she could see the large avian pokemon hunched up on a pile of crumbled stone. Its red-and-black skin gave it a foreboding appearance, despite the fact that its wings were pressed tightly to its side, its head lowered.

An angry hiss sounded behind her, and something collided with her back and shoved her further into the cave. She yelped, stumbling forward, Honedge swinging wildly from her arm. The noivern snapped at her as it passed, flaring its wings and flying up to a ledge. At that point Eris noticed the countless other noivern that huddled on the walls, all staring down at her and the strange red creature.

_ "Human. Why are you here?"_

Eris jumped at the voice. Whipping around, she saw that the avian pokemon had opened its eyes. They were oddly pale and ghostly, as if the body that owned them was nothing but a shell. Tentatively she stepped forward. "One of those noivern brought me here. Sir."

_ "I see."_ The pokemon's head lifted. _"I ordered them to look out for Absol. I'm assuming they had a misunderstanding."_

One of the noivern hissed angrily.

The red pokemon's head snapped towards it. _"Was there something you wanted to add?"_ The noivern remained silent, not a sound escaping from any of the assembled. _"Then you may go. All of you."_

A flurry of wings filled Eris's vision. She ducked, covering her head until she could no longer hear the sound of flapping.

_ "I apologize for the mistake, human. But may I ask how this could have been made?"_

Eris dared herself to stare into the big pokemon's unnerving eyes. "I was attacked by an absol after this honedge attached itself to my arm." She lifted it as proof. The honedge made no sound, simply swinging as her arm moved.

The pokemon tilted his head. _"Curious. If it's the absol I believe it to be, then he would not have attacked if he didn't sense some sort of danger."_

"Danger? Me?"

_ "Not you, perhaps. But the honedge might be."_

"Oh, great." She looked at the sword pokemon and, finding that her fear of the strange bird before her had disappeared, asked, "Would you know how to get it off?"

_ "Perhaps."_ His talons uncurled from the mass of rocks, his wings flaring out to keep his balance as he slid down them. They rattled against the cave floor, fading away as he stopped, bringing his head low enough so that he could look at the honedge. _"It hasn't been draining your energy?"_

"Not that I've noticed. Sir." She was suddenly acutely aware of how much bigger the pokemon was than her, and of the smell of death and carnage that radiated from his body. She had to resist the urge to back away.

The pokemon turned his eerie eyes to her. _"Human, do you know who I am?"_

Surprised by the sudden change of topic, Eris shook her head.

The avian reared up. _"I am Yveltal, one of the pokemon of legend of the Kalos region."_

"The pokemon of - oh, legendary pokemon."

_ "Long ago," _he continued, _"my counterpart and I, Xerneas, were given the aspects of creation and destruction. After a traumatic battle, both of us were forced into a sort of hibernation to consume our energy. I am still recovering, and am unable to fulfill the responsibility I was created for."_

"Responsibility?"

_ "I am the living embodiment of destruction. Would it not stand to reason, therefore, that I am something like a natural disaster?"_

She saw his point. The honedge lifted, shaking slightly. _"Hone."_

Yveltal looked almost amused. _"Don't fear; I have no interest in harming either of you. What would be the point?"_

Honedge backed down slightly, though it still remained partially raised. Eris glanced uncertainly at it, then looked at Yveltal. "So, what? Where are you going with this?"

Yveltal tilted his head. _"Human. What is your name?"_

"Eris. Ah, sir."

_ "Eris."_ His eyes seemed to reflect the red light of the stones. _"I am proposing a trade. I will search for a way to remove that honedge from your arm."_ The cloth tightened. _"In return, you will become a natural disaster in my place."_

For a moment, Eris hardly understood what she was hearing. When it sank in, she laughed hollowly, resting her head in her left hand. "Okay, I've gone crazy. That fall must have injured my brain."

_ "You most certainly are not crazy. This is a serious offer, and I'd appreciate it if you'd treat it as so."_

She looked up with a sardonic smile. "Are you real?" Even as she said it, she knew the ridiculousness; the experience was too vivid to be anything besides reality.

_ "Of course. If you insist on this behavior, I'll just call one of my noivern and have them return you to your human world."_

His words were filled with disdain, but in them she realized a truth: he wasn't cruel. In fact, he'd been nothing but polite to her since her arrival. She released a shaky sigh, deflating, and continued quietly, "I'm sorry, it's just - I just came to Kalos for college. I didn't expect to be thrown into something like, well, _this_." She gestured to the honedge and Yveltal, and then panic almost flooded her, as she realized her mom would be expecting a call that would come. She almost fished out her phone but recognized that this act would only prove more disrespectful and tried to swallow back her sudden anxiety.

_ "That is understandable, I suppose. But I have already been waiting a small eternity. I can't afford to wait another one."_

She wondered what he meant by that, but didn't ask, instead spouting out the first thing that came to mind, "But me, a natural disaster? I can't do that."

_ "Absol sensed enough potential from that honedge to attack both you and it. If you combine your abilities, I would teach you."_

Eris looked at him. She was suddenly struck by how pathetic he looked, with his dull eyes and drooping limbs. A sort of pity filled her. He wasn't so bad, she realized, and only wished to do what was natural to him. _And, _she added, _if there's anything I don't like doing, I don't have to do it._ "Alright. I accept."

For the first time since their meeting Yveltal's eyes seemed to flash with genuine delight. _"Shall we seal it, Miss Eris?"_ He lifted a talon, balancing carefully on his other foot. Eris realized belatedly she was supposed to shake it. After a moment's deliberation she lifted her right hand and grabbed one toe.

Pain shot up her arm; from the screeching Honedge made, she realized, somewhere in the back of her mind, that it was feeling the same pain she felt. _"In your hand, Miss Eris, you shall take up the sword of Oblivion in my stead. You shall become the hand of justice and a force of nature. Act with mercy, but without fear. This is your task, until which time I can free you from the Sword, or which time I can take it up again."_

The pain faded to a dull ache. She was vaguely aware of Yveltal releasing her and falling backwards. Her hearing went; her vision blurred. Then there was nothing but darkness.

** Yveltal **slumped the moment Eris hit the floor. He hadn't realized that transferring a part of his power would be so draining; no wonder he rarely heard of legendaries attempting it anymore, preferring just to fight beside humans when they needed to. He coughed, the sound scratching at the back of his throat, and bent to examine the girl's arm. Just beneath the honedge's cloth he could see the glow of a red insignia.

He pulled back, tilting his head. The girl was rather plain-looking, he noticed, her proportions like most human females, her long blond hair splayed where she'd fallen, her simple t-shirt and sweatpants easily ignored in a crowd. _Probably perfect, _he decided, _for the task that's required._

Yes, he'd made a fine choice, indeed.

_ "Hone."_

His attention snapped towards the sword pokemon. It's blue eye looked as if it were struggling to stay open. _"You're strong, aren't you?"_

_ "Edge…"_

_ "Then I would assume she is in good hands."_ He lifted his head, screeching out in the language of pokemon, "Come!"

Two noivern winged into the cave, crashing onto the floor. They bowed before him. "You called, Master Yveltal?"

He gestured towards Eris and Honedge. "Take them to a cave. I will have you check on them periodically and report to me on their condition."

Both noivern nodded their assent, then gathered up the girl and the sword and flew out of the cavern. Yveltal watched them go, then sat back. The red light from the stones slowly dimmed, fading away to black.

* * *

_And…introductory chapters, done! So, anything you noticed that I need to improve/work on/was good/etc.? Please leave a review and let me know!_


	3. Beginnings

_Alright, and chapter three is up! Thank you Jewel, Kat, and LeTantris for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Three: Beginnings**

_ Once upon a time, there were two pokemon. One embodied life, and left a trail of flowers and plants everywhere she walked. One embodied death, and took pity on those who suffered, allowing them to leave for Heaven. For a long time, Kalos was peaceful._

_ But neither humans nor pokemon were created perfect. And as they grew corrupt, so, too, did these two beings of nature. The one of life granted the gift of eternal life to several, her heart too gentle and full of guilt if she refused. The one of death sought to destroy everything that caused evil, wreaking havoc on the cities and armies that partook in any such acts, no matter how small. Their ideologies clashed, and Life and Death, Creation and Destruction, rose up to fight each other. During this battle, humans and pokemon realized their error, and sought to quell the angry creatures. Through their effort, the two understood their folly, and allowed themselves to be sealed away, never to again interfere with the affairs of the world._

"You're still reading that book?"

Taylor lifted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Do you have a problem with reading, Hailey?"

The girl - glasses askew, short brown hair falling across her cheek - shook her head. "I just don't understand the appeal of myths."

Taylor closed the book with a snap. "Well, I don't complain about you helping with Professor Sycamore's research, do I?"

"I'm only an understudy." Hailey puffed out her cheeks, then glanced at the myriad of other books surrounding Taylor. "Did you know the professor just got in a new batch of starters?"

"I'm not going to become a professional trainer."

"But _why not_? You always wanted to as a kid."

"I'm not cut out for it, Hailey. Besides," he tapped his book, "there are other things I'm interested in."

"You're really going to be traveling around Kalos looking for more information on that legend, huh?"

"There's so little known about the legendary pokemon of our region." He waved the book in front of her. "This holds one of the few stories regarding them. I want to find out more. Why aren't they spoken of? What made their stories buried?"

Hailey eyed the book, then the others, never meeting Taylor's eyes. "You could still accept a pokemon before you go, right? It'd be helpful."

Taylor stared at her, about to protest, and then remembered that he'd be given the infamous puppy-dog eyes if he did. His shoulders slouched. "And this, Hailey, is why I would be no good at pokemon battles."

"Great! I'll show you the starters."

** When **Eris awoke, she found herself staring at stone. She blinked, sure she was seeing wrong, and lifted herself onto her elbows.

_ "Hone."_

Her head snapped towards the sound, and she saw the honedge lying beside her, its cloth wrapped around her arm and its eye staring up at her. Memories crashed back and she pulled her legs to her chest, her free hand slipping into her hair. "What have I gotten myself into?"

_ "Edge?"_

She looked at the honedge and wondered what it could be thinking. It's staring blue eye revealed nothing. She fingered the cloth, wondering absently if she could pry it free.

Her arm burned. Her head ached. The feeling lasted a split second, then disappeared. "What was-?" She lifted her arm and stared. Underneath Honedge's cloth was something red and black and pulsing. She scratched it with a fingernail and discovered it resembled soft metal latched to her skin. "Did Yveltal do that to me?" She remembered the earlier scene vaguely, the avian's words bringing on another headache.

She sat back. "So, what now? I'm serving a Pokemon of destruction?"

_ "Hon!"_

Honedge was suddenly hovering in front of her, its sheath falling away, the blade aimed at the cave entrance. Eris yelped, falling back.

A screech preceded the noivern's clattering arrival. It half-crashed through the opening, its clawed wings braced like an extra pair of legs. It stared, eyes absorbing her and Honedge. Then it siddled up to her, sniffing her hair, touching the mark. "Hey!" she protested. "What are you doing?"

It hissed and she fell silent. First fear, then curiosity, filled her. The dragon pokemon continued its examination while she watched, poking and prodding her, seeming almost reluctantly careful. Finally it released a snort that seemed approving and edged towards the entrance. It glanced back and released something resembling a half-bark, half-roar. "You want me to get on again, don't you?"

She could swear it rolled its eyes.

"Just asking." She approached it and hesitantly wrapped a hand around its leg. It screeched and took off. Eris tried not to scream, closing her eyes against the rushing wind. Honedge pressed against her, its scabbard mysteriously re-attached; it must have retrieved it during the exchange between her and the noivern.

The dragon pokemon back-winged abruptly, nearly throwing her free. It landed, and Eris recognized the entrance to Yveltal's chambers.

_ "Noi - iiii!"_

The leg she clutched shook. She realized belatedly she was still attached, and released her hold, dropping to the ground. The noivern lowered its foot, growling agitatedly, and nudged her back. "I'm going to see Yveltal again?"

_ "Screee!"_

She sighed, entering the tunnel. The darkness still hurt her eyes, but she felt much less uncertain. Replacing it, however, was a worm of fear, not so much at the unknown, but at her bargained 'duties.' _Just relax. Remember, he didn't seem so bad, and you can always walk away._

Red light broke the darkness, and Yveltal's booming voice reached her before she saw him. _"Miss Eris. I trust you slept well?"_

"I guess. Um, sir."

She stepped out. Yveltal sat alone. His dead eyes searched behind her. _"You may go."_

The noivern screeched and fled.

Honedge pressed closer. She ignored it, asking, "What's the mark on my arm from?"

_ "A gift from me. So that you are better able to do the tasks assigned to you."_

"Oh." She looked down, the inquiry about her first task on her lips. In the end she remained silent, waiting.

_ "You're not appreciative?"_

The avian sounded almost hurt. "It's not that. It's just, I'm still absorbing everything."

_ "I see. Yesterday was not enough, I suppose?"_

She considered it. "Well, I'm sure it's real, now. But it's still, ah, very overwhelming."

Yveltal lowered his head, his eyes meeting hers. _"Miss Eris. I hate to rush you, but it's time we got you started. Are you prepared?"_

She knew the question was only a pretense; she would be sent out, regardless. "As I'll ever be."

_ "Good." _The giant pokemon straightened. _"The first task is small. There's an infestation of parasitic plants in a certain part of Santalune Forest. The noivern will fly you there. I want you to destroy all the plants you find."_

Eris blinked. "That's it?"

_ "Yes."_ Yveltal scratched the ground. _"This is what it looks like."_

Eris bent over the picture. The plant had long, reaching vines, small flower-like additions blooming on either side.

_ "Have you memorized its appearance?"_

"I think so."

_ "Then I'll expect you back by tonight."_

"T-tonight?!"

_ "Yes. I'd like to give you more time, but there is a limit to how long we can spend on any one incident."_ His eyes blazed. _"Moreover, I must ask you to remain as hidden as you can possibly be. If you are discovered, then don't reveal what your actual goal is. It tends to make things difficult."_

She noted the stress on the last word. "Okay. I guess. Sir."

Yveltal lifted his head and made a sound that hurt Eris's ears. It resembled something's dying keen, a bird pokemon's song, and something of unspeakable emotion all in one, guttural and painful. The screech ended and a familiar noivern entered, landing at Eris's back. _"Eon will be your personal care-taker from now on."_

She looked at the noivern. "Oh, goody."

She wasn't sure, but she thought Eon sneered.

_ "Go."_

Knowing it would be foolhardy to stay, she left, the tunnel seeming shorter, but maybe that was the fault of the growling noivern following her. The entrance cave opened, allowing Eon to pass. It - he, she supposed - waited. "Same drill?" He jerked his head. She latched onto his leg, and he shot free, diving into the rising sun.

** Abosl's **horn began tingling. He growled, lifting his head. _Is it that honedge again?_ It _felt _like it was. He dashed forward, surroundings blurring. _Where do I need to go for this disaster? Who do I need to warn?_

He halted. Santalune city touched the still-brightening sky. Human noises slowly rose from the houses. Absol backed away into the bushes. He hoped the rustling sounded like any other pokemon, and no one would investigate. He closed his eyes, tuning his hearing.

Wingbeats. Strong, regular, like that of a larger creature. A familiar sound.

His eyes snapped open. A noivern soared overhead, barely visible. Something odd had attached itself to its leg. After a moment Absol realized what it was. _The human?_ He smothered his shock. _I see._

He skirted the edge of town, an eye on the dragon and its passenger.

** Eon** landed about as gently as usual. "You like this, don't you?" Eris asked, spitting dirt.

_ "Hone!"_

Eon looked disdainful. _"Ver - ii."_

Eris glared, then turned her back. The trees blocked the sky. Pokemon rustled in the high grass and bushes. The shadows went nearly unbroken, only a few scattered specks of morning light dotting the ground.

She tried ignoring the ominous feeling the forest exuded and flicked her eyes around. On one of the trees appeared a dark vine with small bulbs. "That's it, isn't it?"

Eon growled.

Eris sighed and examined the vine. "How am I going to get rid of you?" She wrapped a hand around a vine and tugged. It hardly budged. "Stubborn plant. It'll take forever like this."

Honedge nudged her hand.

"Wait. You want me to use you?"

It didn't speak, its eye unreadable.

She tilted her head. "I don't…understand you." She hardly realized she said the words aloud. "What…exactly do you want?"

If Honedge would have answered, in some way, she didn't have the time to find out.

_ "Sol!"_

* * *

_And there's a cliffhanger for you. Alright, so, my creative writing teacher says I have a preposition problem, so I tried working on not using a lot in this chapter. If there are any awkward places, or if you think I didn't do a good job of that, please let me know! And, of course, if there's anything else you liked/disliked, feel free to drop a review._


	4. Battle

_Here's chapter four. Thank you LeTantris for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Four: Battle**

"Well?" Hailey asked. "What do you think?"

Taylor looked over the starters. Fennekin barked, tail wagging; Froakie looked half-asleep; Chespin seemed almost bashful. He rested a hand on the head of the small grass type. "This one doesn't seem so bad."

"Oh, that one! He's wonderful, and so sweet. His stats are pretty good, and-"

"He's a she."

Hailey stopped, blinking several moments as if she didn't realize what was going on. "Oh."

Taylor sighed, rolling his eyes. "What will we do with her, Eve?"

"You named her already?"

"Of course." He picked up the chespin and extended a hand. "I'll need her pokeball. Then I'll be on my way."

"Can't you look at some things for Mega Evolution?"

"I don't have the time." Seeing her pout, he sighed and added, "But if I learn anything while I'm traveling, I'll let you know."

"Great!" She handed him Eve's pokeball. "Good luck."

"Thanks." As he left, he couldn't help adding the afterthought, _I may need it._

** Eris **hardly had time to yelp in surprise. The absol was nearly on her when Honedge lifted to block the attack. Like before, the dark pokemon was forced back.

Eris recovered her bearings as it landed. _Is it the same one as before?_

Absol growled, its horn glowing purple.

_ "Skree!"_

In a flurry of wings Eon appeared before them, hissing and spitting. His tail whipped back, nearly hitting Eris across the cheek. She stumbled backwards, Honedge flailing while she tried to regain her balance. She stared, incredulous. Eon hissed, his neck lowered and his wings fanned out, shaking. Absol crept to one side, then lunged. Eon's wing swept down; Absol dodged it, swiping its horn towards the noivern's leg. Eon screeched and lifted it, his tail shooting between his legs towards Absol. The dark pokemon parried the attack, then bit, tugging. Eon beat his wings, lifting into the air, bringing Absol with him. The disaster pokemon let go, but Eon caught it in a claw.

Sparks danced around the absol's horn. _"Abbb-sol!"_ Electricity sprang from Absol's horn and coated Eon. The noivern released a horrendous screech, the streaks of blue lightning casting him in harsh light and shadows. He tumbled to the ground, releasing Absol from his claws.

The dark pokemon landed easily on its feet, while the dragon remained collapsed on the ground.

Eris tried to regain her focus. She'd watched pokemon battles on television, but this was different; she knew, instinctively, this wasn't for sport. Each move would be for keeps.

But Absol was looking her way again. She took a step backwards, wondering how she could possibly win.

_ "Hone!"_

Honedge tugged her arm and nudged her hand, looking at her with that strange blue eye. "Fight with you?"

_ "Hone."_

While she still suspected the sword pokemon, at Absol's charge, she realized at the moment she didn't have much choice. Her hand wrapped around Honedge's hilt, the other removing the scabbard.

Honedge aided her in parrying Absol's blow. This time the attack didn't send their opponent flying backwards; instead it pressed forward, horn slashing feverishly. Eris, with Honedge's aid, parried the strikes in a flailing sort of fashion. Absol barked, sounding frustrated, and ducked as Eris slashed Honedge in a horizontal swipe. The dark pokemon sprang up, burying its head in Eris's stomach. She gasped and flew backwards, landing roughly on her bottom.

Suddenly Absol was above her, sunlight glinting off its horn, claws stretched out. She yelped, swiping Honedge up on reflex.

A black-and-purple blur flashed above her, knocking Absol away. She rolled over, stunned, and watched as Eon pinned Absol to the ground. The dark pokemon flailed beneath the dragon's claws, hissing and barking. Eon made no sound, instead gathering energy for a hyper beam between his jaws. Absol abruptly appeared alarmed. Lightning sparked from its horn and, almost simultaneously, wind began to form around it. Eris's eyes widened. _Its combining thunder with razor wind?_

Absol's attacks released at the same time as Eon's hyper beam. The shards of wind dispersed large portions of the beam of energy, the lightning wreathing around Eon. The hyper beam still caused an explosion, forcing the two apart. Absol skidded across the ground, but after a moment stood, smoke billowing off its horn. Eon remained crumpled where he was.

Eris shook herself. _Alright, focus! You know something about pokemon. Be useful!_ "What attacks do you know?" she questioned Honedge.

It looked up at her.

"Then I guess I'll wing it." She tried not to panic when she saw Absol preparing another razor wind. She hid behind a tree; a moment later wind exploded around her, ripping the bark off her shield and howling across Santalune Forest. Even in the safety of her hiding place she could feel the force of the gale.

Eris took a moment to collect herself as the wind began to die down. Then she counted to three and spun out. "Swords dance!"

Honedge acknowledged by spinning sharply, forcing her to follow, its blade glowing. By a chance of fate, the action had managed to parry the absol. The dark pokemon now stood with its legs braced apart, gathering lightning. "Shit!"

The lightning flew. Eris tried to block. Thunder hit both her and Honedge. She cried out in pain, feeling as if her blood had suddenly been set on fire, Honedge's metal screech coinciding with hers.

Her arm burned. Her head ached. Suddenly she saw red and black. The pain didn't disappear, but she was able to ignore it.

Absol looked shocked. For a moment, she thought she heard it speak - _No! How?_ - but dismissed it. Instead she gripped Honedge with both hands, bringing it up over her head and down again with a war cry. Absol's scythe swept to parry.

The collision created a flurry of wind. Eris's hair whipped across her face, distorting her red-black vision. Absol growled, its fur rippling, then with a cry of fury pushed forward.

Suddenly Eris found herself on the ground, exhausted. Absol appeared above her; her vision flickered between natural colors and the distorted ones. Absol's lips moved, and she swore it - he - spoke. "You've surprised me. But you're still too inexperienced." He lifted his blade.

"Back off, mutt!"

A blast of energy collided with the disaster pokemon's body, sending him flying. Eon appeared above Eris, positioning himself so that he was guarding her. "Why did I get stuck with this job? Of course I end up fighting a frigging absol."

Eris found her eyelids were growing heavy. Slowly she allowed them to close.

** Absol **eyed the noivern and his charge with new caution. _If Yveltal has really gone so far as to Mark her, then this is bad._ He wouldn't charge again; not just yet. "Why did your master Mark her?"

The noivern snorted and tilted his head. "Like I'd know. And if I did, the last pokemon I'd tell would be _you_."

Absol lowered his head and bared his scythe. "Do you realize what that means? Do you know how long it's been since anyone - or any_thing_ - has been Marked?"

The noivern shrugged. "Eh. What's the big deal? The kid's near useless. And annoying."

"The big deal," Absol ground out, "is that Marking grants the Marked with a portion of the original's power. It's something that I believed to be lost to time. And now I find out a being of _destruction _had that ability and _used _it?"

The noivern heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Look, mutt, the master has his reasons for doing things. I don't expect you to understand them." He glanced at the human. "And for the record, if the master didn't need her, I'd just let you kill her."

_ Need her?_ Absol didn't pose the question, instead staring at the girl with a new curiosity. To him, it seemed she was as normal as any other human he'd seen. _So why?_ It stood to reason that perhaps Yveltal simply needed _a_ human, or even any living creature, and this one ended up the recipient.

But he didn't dare attack. Regardless of skill, being Marked would make her dangerous, more-so perhaps because she hadn't figured out how to use the ability yet. And there was something peculiar about the fact that Yveltal would be willing to do such a thing.

He dipped his head and backed away, deciding to wait and see how things played out. _I'll take action once I've had a chance to better assess the situation._

_** "..ge."**_

Eris stirred. "I'll get up soon."

_ "…ne…dge."_

She rolled over, draping a hand across her eyes.

_ "Skreeeiiiii!"_

The screech in her ear had her jumping into the air. "Wai-what?" She whipped around and found herself staring into the face of a noivern. She yelped and fell backwards, trying to steady her pounding heart. "Eon?"

Eon growled, sitting back. He scratched behind an ear without removing his glare.

Eris sighed. She looked down at Honedge and noticed it still lacked its sheath. The realization made her start. "What about Absol?" She tried to get to her feet, but found her legs unsteady for a moment, and fell to her knees. Absol was nowhere to be seen; Honedge's sheath, however, rested a short distance away. She retrieved it. _What _was_ that?_ She looked at the mark on her arm. _The power Yveltal gave to me? But how did-?_

She was suddenly aware of the fading sunlight. Her eyes shot to the sky, alarm pulsing through her. "Yveltal said he wanted me back soon."

Eon didn't look at her, but she could tell he was displeased.

Honedge nudged her hand. _"Edge."_

She looked at the sword pokemon, then around at the vines. "I'll never finish in time. But I guess I have to try." And she realized, also, that she didn't have time to worry about Honedge's motives. "Alright," she whispered to it, "for now, we're partners. I don't know why you're attached to me, but you haven't hurt me yet."

_ "Hon!"_

Eris held Honedge's hilt in both hands. "Swords dance!" Honedge again spun her around, its blade glowing. She moved to the first of the vines, and lifted her arms. She dragged Honedge down. Its glowing blade met some resistance, but was able to hack through the parasitic plant. Eris allowed herself a small grin of satisfaction and continued her work, methodically lifting and lowering Honedge to cut through the vines, watching as they fell to the ground in heaps around the tree. When she'd finished the first she moved to the next. Aware of the fading daylight she ripped at the vines with fury, panting, arms aching, beads of sweat dribbling down her face.

She finished the second tree and leaned against it. Eon glanced at her. _"Verr."_

"Just…give me a moment." She took a deep breath and stood, moving to the next tree.

She was stopped when Eon blocked her way. "But, I haven't-"

_ "Scree."_ He jerked his head up.

Eris followed the direction. The light had nearly bled out of the sky. Her shoulders sagged. "It's time to go?"

Eon answered by lifting into the air with a wince, grasping her shoulders between his claws, and flying back towards Yveltal's mountain.

* * *

_And there's the end of chapter four. Do you guys want attack names capitalized, or is this fine? Other thoughts on this chapter? Drop a review and let me know!_


	5. Marked

_Okay, here's chapter five. Thank you LeTantris for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Five: Marked**

Yveltal lifted his head. _"You've returned."_

Eris kept her head lowered, offering meekly, "Yes."

_ "You sound disheartened. Were you unable to finish the task?"_

"An absol attacked us. And then I, uh, I passed out. When I woke up it was already late."

_ "I see."_ Yveltal regarded her carefully, then snaked his neck towards the exit. _"Leave for the moment. I must speak to Eon privately."_

Eris nodded, hurrying out.

Yveltal turned to the noivern, switching to the pokemon language. "Did she use the Mark?"

Eon shrugged. "I think so. That mutt thought she did. Wasn't too happy about it."

"I see."

Eon hesitated before posing the question, "If you don't mind me asking, Master, why _did _you Mark her? It isn't a common practice, and at least as far as I can see, it's not necessary."

Yveltal paused, considering his answer. "She needs the help. Can you imagine a normal human performing the actions I have requested on their own?"

"But Master, why a _human_? Why not one of us?"

"It's not something I can fully explain to you. But rest assured, there is a purpose to it."

Eon looked skeptical, but he dipped his head. "Very well, Master. Am I supposed to take the girl back to her quarters?"

"Yes. I should like to speak to her in the morning. It appears we may have some work ahead of us before she can perform her duties."

Eon left. Yveltal hunched up, pondering the situation. _Now for my end of the deal. Aside from death, how can I possibly separate Honedge from Miss Eris?_

** Eris **woke up back in her cave. Honedge was still asleep. She took the opportunity to examine the sword pokemon. It didn't seem any different from others of its species. Why, then, was it not doing as the stories claimed, and sucking her free of energy? _Maybe that _was _just a story, _she thought. _After all, people make things up all the time._

She considered what else she'd learned of the sword pokemon, wracking her brain. _Supposedly, honedge are born when a warrior's soul possesses a sword._ The nature of ghost pokemon, she'd found, she was always skeptical on, and yet she couldn't help wondering now if there was some grain of truth, that this honedge had once been a human warrior, and where and when he or she had hailed from.

It occurred to her she hadn't even learned the pokemon's gender. She'd assumed the honedge could only have bad intentions, but in fact seemed to want nothing but to help her, for no apparent reason.

Honedge shook. She jumped, accidentally bringing the sword pokemon up with her. _"Hone!"_

"Sorry." Eris looked at the sword, who was again staring at her with that curious blue eye, and wondered if it was waiting for her to say more.

Wing beats prevented her from doing so. Eon landed in the cave mouth, his wings braced against the ground. He looked vaguely disgusted - perhaps at seeing her awake, perhaps at having to do the job at all - but turned, growling in an irritated but resigned fashion. "Hi to you, too," Eris grumbled. She held on to Eon's leg, preparing herself and clutching Honedge close to her chest.

Eon took of without warning, diving to the entrance to Yveltal's cave. He landed roughly. Eris managed to retain a death grip on his leg, and he hissed, hopping around the cave and shaking his leg in an attempt to dislodge her. "Alright, alright, I'll got off! Stop shaking me!" He obeyed, a rumbling growl slipping out between his teeth as she slowly set herself on the ground. He made his way to the tunnel first, looking back at her and hissing. "I know."

The darkness, she discovered, no longer hurt her eyes, even if she still couldn't see. Her footsteps, and Eon's, bounced off the cave walls; the noivern's breathing sounded unusually heavy.

The red light met them as they stepped free of the tunnel. Yveltal's milky eyes absorbed them. _"You are dismissed, Eon."_

The noivern seemed happy to obey.

Eris couldn't meet the avian's gaze. She remembered the failure from the day before, and wished she could turn herself invisible.

_ "You are ashamed you could not finish your task."_

She nodded.

_ "Good. That shame will make you try harder the next time."_ He paused. _"I realize the blame cannot go to you entirely. However, we are not in a position where I can brush off a failure. Now,"_ he tapped the floor, _"we have things to do. First, I believe I must further explain that mark on your arm."_

Eris examined it. "Yeah. What'd it do yesterday?"

_ "To put it simply, Miss Eris, it briefly amplified your abilities. Have you ever heard of being Marked?"_

She shook her head.

_ "To put it shortly, there are certain pokemon who, because of their origins, can pass off a portion of their power to another. The catch is that this being must be a human."_

"Huh? Why's that?"

_ "That is a complicated issue, and one not necessary to explain for you to understand the workings. However, when I passed some of my power to you, it left that Mark on your arm. Officially speaking, you would now be something called a 'Marked.'"_

"You make it sound like something out of a story."

_ "You are speaking to a Pokemon known only in legends, and forgotten ones, at that. Did you expect anything different?"_

She blushed in embarrassment.

_ "Don't take being Marked lightly. It means that a portion of my power now exists inside you. You have the ability to access that power, if you train. However, using it without that training can prove fatal. And should you abuse that power, then I will be obliged to kill you."_ No regret, but no malice; simply a statement of fact.

Eris swallowed. "O-okay. Sir."

_ "Now, then," _Yveltal spread his wings, _"it appears that in order to fulfill the tasks required of you, you must learn how to fight."_

"How to fight?"

_ "Yes. We can't have you struggling against that absol again. We don't have the time."_

Eris silently admitted he was right, even if she wasn't fond of the idea. Honedge nudged her hand. _"Hone."_

_ "I will call Eon. He will be the one you shall train with."_

"Okay?"

Yveltal released that strange, eerie cry. Eon appeared in the cave. Yveltal spoke to him in, what Eris assumed, was the tongue of pokemon. Eon nodded, sent Eris a death glare, then scurried up the tunnel. Yveltal focused on Eris. _"Go."_

Eris dipped her head and left the cave.

** Eon **took them to a clearing below the mountain. He settled, growling irritably, while Eris walked across the space. She spun around, cocking her head. "So, what are we going to do?"

Eon glared at her. Before she'd had time to register the situation the noivern had shot to his feet, half flying, half running across the ground. Eris yelped, stumbling back.

_ "Hone!"_

She gripped Honedge's hilt when it shot up, only managing to partially strip it of its sheath before Eon had reached her. The dragon pressed against the sword, snarling. Eris tried to resist, but ended up being forced to the ground, pinned there by the large pokemon's wings. She struggled to free herself. Honedge slid free of her hand and slashed at Eon, but he flicked it easily away with his tail, trapping it with a foot. He lowered his head, growling. Eris swallowed, sweat dribbling down the side of her face.

The noivern released her, jumping back. Eris stood shakily. Eon watched her, standing erect for once, his wings half-flared. He shrieked, beating them, his tail lashing back and forth. Even without being able to understand pokemon speech, she understood: _Try harder._

Eris found Honedge's hilt again. "Ready?"

_ "Edge."_

"Swords dance!" The sword pokemon spun her, its blade glowing.

Eon watched, waiting.

Eris swallowed. _Okay, so now, I guess we attack._ She kicked off, swinging Honedge when she came close enough. Eon spun to the side, easily dodging the attack. Eris stumbled, attempting to turn. Instead she found herself hit with Eon's tail and sent flying across the ground.

Eon shrieked again as she landed, dust swirling up around her and clouding her vision. _What can I do? I'm not a fighter, just-_ She stopped. _Dust._

She stood. Eon waited for her next charge.

She sprinted forward, trying to keep herself low to the ground to be as small a target as possible. She dragged Honedge's tip through the ground, swiping it up. Dirt flew into Eon's face, who jerked it away, snarling irritably. Eris ripped Honedge up, trying to slash at the noivern's chest.

A clawed wing stopped it. She swallowed, staring wide-eyed at the dragon pokemon. He growled, his eyes red-rimmed, then threw her backwards.

She hit the ground painfully. Slowly she pushed herself up, ignoring her burning muscles, the fact that she was already breathing hard. She wanted to quit; she'd be the first to admit she didn't feel cut out for this. But she also knew she couldn't.

She steadied her legs and dashed forward.

** Yveltal **lifted his head at the sound of wings from the tunnel. "You've returned."

The two noivern jostled each other. "Stop shoving."

"Yeah, yeah." The male bowed. "Master."

The female copied him, with a more reluctant, "Master."

"What have you found?" Yveltal asked.

"No sign yet," the male responded, rising. "We have no idea where she could have gone."

The female chuckled. "Maybe she died."

Rage roared through Yveltal; death burned in his veins and pulsed beneath his skin. _"Not possible."_

The two noivern drew back, fearful looks creasing their features.

Yveltal took a moment to steady himself. But he would not apologize. "We need to find her. Where have you checked?"

"Eh. Lots of places." The male noivern shrugged, glancing at his female companion.

"What about Geosenge?"

"Woah, there, Master." The female lifted her claws in protest. "You know what happened at that place. I don't want to go near it."

Yveltal's milky eyes narrowed. "Very well. Then I will send someone more capable."

The two noivern lowered their heads.

"You are dismissed."

They fled. Yveltal turned away. _Soon, balance will return. I promise._

* * *

_That'd be the end of chapter five! Any questions or comments? Drop a review and let me know!_


	6. Tasks

_So here's chapter six. Thank you LeTantris, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, YoshiEmblem, and Someone for reviewing last chapter!_

**Part Six: Tasks**

A woman with sandy-blond hair pursed her lips. Her cell phone rested in her hand, seeming unusually heavy. _Eris hasn't called yet._

It had been five days since she'd last heard from her. For the first, she'd been too busy to notice. For the second, she hadn't been concerned; her daughter was in a new place now; it would take time to adjust. After the third, though, she'd started to grow worried. At the fourth she'd tried calling, but no one had picked up. And now here she was, alone on the fifth day, standing in an airport.

A voice caught her attention. "Miss. You're next. Can I help you?"

She plastered on a congenial smile. "Yes. I was wondering if there are any flights to Kalos leaving soon?"

-**Eris **winced when she woke up the next day. Training with Eon hadn't been easy; he'd seemed to be taking out his frustration at having to watch over her during their practice time.

_ "Hon."_

Even Honedge sounded subdued.

Eris sighed. "This is going well, isn't it?"

Stones clattering at the entrance announced Eon's arrival. "Yveltal wants to see us?" Eris asked.

Eon rolled his eyes and turned, tail swishing.

Eris rolled hers in turn and obeyed the silent order, grasping Eon's leg. She noticed as they descended that she was getting used to the sudden descent and rip of the air. In a way it was frightening, that she could get used to something such as that over the course of a few days. _A few days._ Had it really only been that long?

Eon snapped into the cave, snapping Eris out of her thoughts as she was sent flying across the room. She was saved from the floor, surprisingly, by Honedge, who dragged its blade across the ground; while it didn't keep her upright, it effectively slowed them down enough to avoid pain. Eris stood, glaring at Eon.

The noivern hissed at her, looking unrepentant.

Eris shook herself, walking towards the entrance to Yveltal's cave. Honedge banged against her leg, and she wrapped a hand around its hilt, lifting and holding it somewhat awkwardly.

_ "Honedge."_

_ Was that a 'thank you?'_ She answered, "You're welcome", anyways.

Yveltal was waiting as usual when she arrived, hunched over, looking tired and worn. _"Miss Eris. I apologize that you cannot have more time to train before your next assignment."_

"Um, it's okay. Sir."

_ "Thankfully, your task this time does not involve fighting. I need you to investigate something in Geosenge."_

"Investigate?"

_ "You see, Miss Eris, destroying what needs to be ended is not the only thing I do. I told you that my counterpart and I were forced into hibernation after a battle years ago, did I not?"_

Eris nodded.

_ "Then I should also inform you that thought _I _have awakened, my servants and I have yet to find any sign of Xerneas. Without her, the balance between creation and destruction is tipped too far to my end."_

"So, why are you still acting, then?"

She regretted speaking when Yveltal narrowed his eyes at her. _"This is my duty. Even if Xerneas neglects hers, I have no right to neglect mine."_

"O-oh."

_ "Geosenge happens to be a town with a great amount of history behind it, especially where we two are concerned. I request, then, that you go there, and see if you can find any sign of Xerneas."_

Honedge twitched in her hand. She glanced at it. "How will I know what to look for?"

_ "It should be obvious."_

She translated what Yveltal left unsaid: I don't know.

_ "I can afford to give you until another urgent matter comes up. At that point, I will send a noivern to retrieve you."_

Eris nodded an assent, though she felt more unsure than she let on.

Breath on her back startled her. She jumped. Eon was poised in front of the entrance, crouched low.

_ "Go."_

Eris, still feeling skittish, followed Eon back into the main cave. The noivern allowed her to grip his leg before he sprang from the cave, falling a bit, then rising and pounding through the sky.

-**Eris **opened her eyes when Eon began to slow. "Is that where we're going?"

The dragon grumbled, landing among several stone pillars. Eris released him, staring at her surroundings. Massive rock slabs towered above her, casting shadows over a patchwork of grass and dirt. A faint mist, not yet dispersed by the sunlight, crept between the slabs and writhed around her legs.

_ "Hone."_

Honedge shivered beside her. She touched it. "Hey. What's the matter?"

The sword pokemon didn't look at her, its eye half closed.

Wing beats sounded behind her. Eon lifted into the air, wind stirring Eris's hair and clothes, breaking up clots of mist. "Hey! You're-" Then she remembered what Yveltal had said, and closed her mouth. She looked at Honedge. "Well, we have a lot of searching to do. Where should we start?"

The ghost-type didn't answer her, and she was left to wander through the forest of stones on her own.

An eerie aura swept over her, running down her back, drawing beads of sweat and raising the hairs along her neck. "It's kind of quiet," she whispered, unable to convince herself to speak louder. She touched one of the stones.

Her arm burned. Her head ached. Something like whispers pounded in her skull. She yelped, stumbling backwards, clutching her head in her hands.

Honedge pressed closer.

The whispers disappeared. She stared between her feet, panting. _What was that?_

The stone remained unmoving; if not for its unusual placement, it would seem like any other rock.

Eris laughed at herself. "I must be going crazy." She forced her legs to move.

And promptly met someone coming around one of the stones. Both let out cries of surprise, stumbling back. "Ghost!" Eris screeched, reaching for Honedge. The ghost pokemon was glued to her side, refusing to budge.

"Ghost?" a male voice breathed. "I know I'm pale, but I didn't believe I was transparent."

When Eris calmed, she saw that she was facing a regular human boy, stocky, short brown hair, a jacket pulled close. A chespin peered over his shoulder, eyes worried.

"S-sorry." Eris relaxed. "You just startled me."

"Likewise." The boy pushed his glasses up his nose then offered a hand. "I'm Taylor."

"Uh, Eris." She shook his hand hesitantly.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "That's an interesting name. Like the old legends Eris?"

"Old legends?"

"Eris was considered a goddess of destruction." Taylor grinned. "I apologize. I find myths fascinating, and sometimes get carried away."

"Oh."

The chespin on his shoulder lifted itself higher, releasing a meek-sounding squeak. Honedge detached itself slightly from Eris's side in response. "Oh, I'd almost forgot," the boy said. "This is Eve." The chespin, emboldened by his introduction, jumped up, smiling.

"And this is, ah," Eris paused, looking at Honedge and wondering what she could say, "Honedge."

"No name?"

Eris shook her head dumbly.

"Fascinating. There are some interesting myths attached to honedges. Do you mind if I look at it?"

Eris shook her head again. Taylor bent down, inspecting the sword pokemon. Eris ventured, "You said you know a lot about mythology?"

"Well, some. It's what I'm interested in."

"Do you know anything about a pokemon named Xerneas?"

"Xerneas?" Taylor looked thoughtful. "The name's not familiar. Can you tell me anything about it?"

"Well, ah, she's supposed to be an avatar of creation, I guess."

"An avatar of-" Taylor's eyes spread wide. "You know something about the myths of Kalos?"

Eris stepped back. "Well, not really that much."

Taylor hardly seemed to be listening. He searched for something in his bag, muttering, then pulled out a book with a flourish. "Here. This is a book that has recorded numerous things about the Kalos region. Let me show you what's recorded for mythology." He flipped through pages. He showed her a small page, a sepia illustration on the bottom. "This text. That's all there is."

"Oh." Eris, admittedly, hadn't known so little was remembered of Yveltal and Xerneas.

Taylor nodded, snapping the book shut. "I'm fascinated by it. That's why I'm here in Geonsenge, to study."

"You think that more of the legend would be found here?"

"Isn't that the reason you've come, as well?"

Eris hesitated, cursing herself silently, then gave a shaky nod. "Y-yeah."

Taylor smiled kindly. "Well, perhaps we could help each other out."

"Yeah. Maybe." She wondered if Yveltal would be mad at her for this. Then again, she decided, he rarely ever seemed angry with her.

Another thought occurred to her. "Hey. Why did you think of Geosenge?"

Taylor's eyes grew misty. He looked at one of the great stones. "A war was fought here, three thousand years ago."

"A war?"

"Yes. Haven't you heard of it?"

Eris shook her head, adding hastily, "I'm not from Kalos. What was this war about?"

"Isn't it funny? Not much is known about it. What little is remembered is that Geosenge was one of the most important battlegrounds."

The whisper tickled Eris's ear, hissing in through one and squirming out the other. She shivered and twitched, her hand jerking half way to her ear.

Taylor showed no sign he noticed. "If you don't know about the war, then why did you decide to come?"

"Oh. A, ah, um, my boss told me that this would be a good place to look."

"I see." Taylor suddenly looked skeptical, but didn't probe her. He turned. "Well, we could ask around town. Someone's bound to know more about the stories."

Eris began to follow, then paused. She took one last look back at the stones.

Honedge tugged her arm. _"Hone."_

She obeyed the request, itching at her Mark.

-**"What **is the report?" Yveltal asked, his voice quiet and ragged.

Noivern hung from the ceiling of his cave, find niches in the rock, crags to grip, giving a wide berth to the glowing red stones. One, cast in the hellish lighting of the cave, red upon almost black, hissed out, "There are still a lot of trainers. Nothing more than their usual squabbling that I can see."

Another spoke. "Some of the populations of pokemon at Terminus Cave are growing to great."

"Those plants are still killing things in Santalune Forest."

"Crime rates are going up in Lumiose, I think. It's hard to read those screen things."

"There's a human crime syndicate that's started up."

"Enough," Yveltal rumbled. He bowed under the weight of the issues.

A noivern detached herself from the roof, flipping over and landing gracefully in front of the avian. "Master. _We _can search for Xerneas, as you've had us do. And we can do the smaller tasks. Call back that human. If she is Marked, then she can perform the greater tasks required of her."

Yveltal shook his head. "No. Xerneas is the most pressing issue at present. I will call her back when something truly distressing is at hand."

"Master-"

"I want two of you to form teams to take care of the plants in Santalune and the pokemon in Terminus Cave. For the moment, we will only observe the humans. If matters continue, we will step in."

The noivern scattered, momentarily blocking out the red light in a flurry of wings. The ruckus of their flight faded, leaving Yveltal alone, hunched up, looking defeated except for the fire in his almost-dead eyes.

* * *

_And that'd be the end of chapter six. So, I figured I'd start something new (for me, at least) and have review responses at the end of the chapter:_

**LeTantris: **Yeah, the bold doesn't always seem to work; it's just something I'm used to since my original dumbats no longer work on FF. But I added dashes before the words; hopefully that helps? Haha, I guess you found out very quickly whether your guess was right or wrong.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: **Thank you for so many reviews! Haha, I guess you know the answer to your question now.

**YoshiEmblem: **Thank you! I'm sure you would've done fine with your story, though. And, well…you know what's going on with Eris's mom, now.

**Someone: **I'm glad you like the story. Eris's luggage was kind of left behind; her phone's been mostly in an area with no service. (I was actually going to have her call her mom earlier, but then forgot. Guess her mom got tired of waiting. ^^' ) Anywho, I'll make that more obvious in later chapters. Haha, well, I guess you know what happened with her mom now. I'm hoping the ending gave you an idea of more of what Yveltal does (and what Eris will have to do), but this is something that I wanted the reader to be eased into as much as Eris is. Description has always been a little vice of mine; I write it well when I actively think about it, but usually I'm going "story, characters, story, characters, battle!", so at least recently the progress I've made has slipped. I'll try and step it up in later chapters, though. Thank you for all your questions!

_So, have anything to say, yourself? Just drop a review and let me know!_


	7. Legends

_And here's chapter seven. Thank you LeTantris, Antex-The Legendary Zororark, and Kauris Azurai for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Seven: Legends**

Eris followed Taylor into an inn. It had a rustic feel, logs forming the walls, the lighting dimmed to amber. A few tables littered the space; a green hand-made rug traveled up a set of stairs. A woman in a uniform, her hair beginning to turn gray, smiled kindly at them behind the counter. "Good morning. What can I do for you?"

Taylor said, "We're here to try and learn about the legends in Geosenge."

"Ah. Then you've come to the right place."

Eris absorbed the words. A smile tugged her lips. "I'm not in a cave. Or in the forest." She laughed.

"Eris?" Taylor asked.

Eris shook her head, beaming. She spun. "This is- oh! Mom!" Panicking, she fumbled in her pocket, Honedge protesting when she shook it. She dragged her phone free. She began to dial, then stopped, remembering her audience and growing sheepish. "S-sorry."

"It's okay," Taylor said slowly. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't interrupt."

Eris nodded, lowering her phone.

A hand caught her wrist. "We're already interrupted. If the call's important, make it."

Eris nodded and smiled her gratitude. She left the inn and dialed. "Pick up, pick up," she mumbled. It went to voicemail after five rings. "Hey, Mom, it's Eris. Sorry I didn't call earlier. I'm doing fine. Love you." She clicked off, hoping the message was enough to appease her.

Taylor and the woman were still waiting for her inside. "Sorry," she apologized.

"Well, it's not a problem," the woman responded. "Now, then. Legend says that the final battle of the Great War was fought here. I assume you know that much?"

Taylor and Eris nodded.

"It's said the king himself led the army during that battle. He'd been in such a rage that nothing, no one, could stop him. They won by sheer determination. The opposing side surrendered simply because they were too afraid of what would happen should they battle again."

"Fascinating," Taylor murmured. Eve, still clinging to his shoulder, leaned forward.

"The king was distraught afterwards. He may have won the war, but he'd paid the cost of many lives. His soldiers assured him it had been necessary, but he was inconsolable. He gave up his post, leaving to atone for his sins. It's said he still walks Kalos today, wailing for his loss."

"That's quite the story," Taylor said.

"Yeah," Eris agreed.

The whisper came back. She started, a shiver running up her neck and head.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"No. It's nothing."

Honedge pressed closer to her, shaking. _"Hone."_ It's voice was hardly louder than the whisper.

She realized it was as frightened as she was. She petted it, hoping the action would provide comfort.

"I'm afraid that's all I have for you," the inn-keeper apologized. "Perhaps if you look around Geosenge you'll find something more."

"Thanks," Taylor said. He and Eris left.

"Sorry," Eris said.

"What about?"

"I know I probably seem pretty weird to you."

Taylor sighed. "I've dealt with stranger." He grimaced, as if reliving a memory Eris wasn't privy to.

Eris offered a weak smile. "So where to now?"

"There are supposed to be some ruins outside of town." He pointed past a cluster of log cabins. "We can search there."

Eris followed. "Everything's so…old." She knew she couldn't do justice to the feeling she got from looking at the town. The houses were all similarly-built cabins. Grass patched the ground, giving way in some places to pale dirt and paths of gray stone. In the center of town rested a large cluster of stones. Eris stopped to examine them.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Taylor commented.

"What is it?"

"A monument to the war." Taylor's glasses clicked as he fixed them. "The king of old is said to have built it after the battle."

Her arm throbbed. Eris felt as if she were being pulled into the monument. When she spoke her voice sounded distant. "No. It's something more."

"Pardon?"

The whisper grew louder. Her hand lifted.

_ "Hone!"_

Honedge jerked her arm. She yelped, stumbling. And just like that, the trance was broken.

"Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah." Eris expected to see irritation on Taylor's face, but instead found only concern. She apologized anyway.

Now Taylor did frown. "Stop apologizing."

"Sorry." She slapped a hand over her mouth.

Taylor sighed and shook his head ruefully. "Well, why don't we head out and see what we can find? If you're done apologizing."

"So-" she cut herself off.

Taylor snorted in amusement.

They walked to the outskirts. Eve left Taylor's shoulder, bouncing excitedly at the edge of a dirt path. _"Ches!"_

"You're excited, as well?"

The small chespin nodded.

Eris realized that Honedge was almost the exact opposite. It shook, and Eris half-feared it would try to run away while it was still attached to her. "Hey," she called, "Honedge has been acting weird since we got here. Have any ideas why?"

"I'm afraid I'm not the pokemon expert." Taylor shrugged helplessly. "I study myths. I have a friend that may be able to explain it, but I'm unfortunately unknowledgeable in that department."

"Oh."

Taylor knelt beside the sword pokemon. "Well, I believe there are some stories about honedge that say they are formed when the ghost of a dead warrior possesses their sword."

"I know."

"I have to admit, I'm fascinated by the fact that it hasn't drained any energy from you."

"You wouldn't be the first," she muttered.

"Perhaps that is only a myth, as well?" Taylor narrowed his eyes. "What is that?"

"Hm?"

"Beneath Honedge's sash."

She hid her arm. "Nothing. Just an old wound."

Taylor's eyes flickered suspiciously behind the glitter of his glasses. He didn't press the matter, though, instead standing and continuing down the path. Eve waited, bouncing impatiently. Eris followed, trying to stem her growing sense of unease.

A person in red appeared as they neared the mass of gray stones. "It appears someone else wanted to look at the ruins."

The oddly-dressed man didn't even turn to look at them as they passed. Eris stared. He reminded her oddly of the man who'd helped her at the airport.

"Eris. Look at this."

Taylor's voice was tinged with excitement. Eris hurried over to him. Eve bounced around, delicately cradling small orange flowers when she stopped. Eris bent down. "Marigolds?"

"Yes. They're flowers that represent death." Taylor kneeled beside her. "I didn't think they grew around here."

"What are you kids doing?" a voice asked. "Don't you have something better to do?"

The man in red was hurrying toward them. "Now he notices us," Eris muttered.

"We're sorry if we were interrupting something," Taylor said, hastily standing and lifting his hands. "We simply wanted to search the ruins."

"Well, scram," the man retorted. "There's important business going on here. We don't have time to be dealing with kids."

"We?" Eris asked without thinking.

"I'm part of a team." He seemed unusually proud of that fact. "And we've got some business with these ruins."

"Are you looking for information on the legends, too?" Taylor's eyes gleamed, and his voice rose to an excited pitch.

"Um, yeah. That's what we're doing."

"We could help you. Your work would go faster, and so would ours."

The red-suited man looked flustered. "Listen, that's great and all, but I can't-"

"We could see if we could get in the ruins first." Taylor seemed to be hardly listening. "Or perhaps have someone look outside the ruins, and others travel inside."

"Kid-"

"I wonder, does this open, or has it been permanently closed?" Taylor touched the door.

Someone caught his hand. "I wouldn't do that."

Eris blinked. She looked from the man in red, to the newcomer, and back again. They looked strikingly similar. "Are you two related?"

Both barked out laughs. "No," the newcomer, a woman, responded. "Why would you think that?"

"I have no idea."

They seemed to miss the sarcasm. "Listen, you kids need to go. We have an official warrant to excavate this site."

Taylor frowned. "Does it work that way?"

"Don't question the experts! Just move along. Go back to whatever you were doing before you came here."

Taylor and Eris exchanged glances. "Maybe we should just go," Eris said.

Taylor sighed. "I suppose we can find somewhere else to look."

They left. Eris glanced over her shoulder occasionally. The twin-like people stared after them. Eris shook her head. "We could ask around at houses."

"Right."

They passed the day that way, knocking on doors, asking for information. All they could get were variations of the story the inn-keeper told them.

The sun began to sink. The down fell to orange highlights and long, sharp shadows. "I guess that's it for the day," Eris said. It occurred to her that she would have to find somewhere to sleep. Her heart sank at the idea of having to sleep in some bushes or on the ground when civilization was so close.

"Aren't you coming?" Taylor asked. He was walking towards the inn.

Eris shook her head.

"Why not?"

"No money."

Taylor stopped. "Your boss sent you on this trip, and yet he didn't give you money?"

"I was, ah, robbed on the way here."

"By trainers?"

"What?"

"Trainers." Taylor lifted an eyebrow. "You truly are sheltered, aren't you? When trainers battle other trainers, oftentimes they try to up the stakes by having the loser pay the winner a certain amount of money. Usually if the opposing trainer denies it, then the battle either takes place 'for fun', or doesn't happen at all. But there have been many known cases where trainers will steal from the loser if they refuse. I assume from your answer that's not the case?"

"Ah, no. Just normal bandits."

Taylor snorted. "'Normal bandits', she says." He began to walk away. "I can pay for a night or two, I suppose."

Eris wondered at him. _Why would he offer to pay when my story sounds so fake?_ She shook the thought aside, instead racing after him, grateful to have a couple of nights back with humanity.

* * *

_And that'd be the end of chapter seven. Review responses:_

**LeTantris:** Spelled your name right this time! I'm glad the dashes would be able to help. Haha, well, it could be interesting when her mom gets a hold of her. And I'm glad you liked the chapter!

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:** They do for now. Guess we'll see how long it lasts.

**Kauris Azurai:** I'm glad you like the story! I appreciate all the compliments, and I hope this chapter lived up to expectations.

_So, comments, questions, considerations? Feel free to drop a review!_


	8. Lysandre

_This is chapter eight. Thank you Antex-The Legendary Zoroark and LeTantris for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Eight: Lysandre**

Taylor lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Eve slept curled beside him. He glanced through the darkness to the sleeping form of Eris. Honedge remained attached to her arm, its blue eye closed.

She was strange, he decided. And not someone he entirely trusted. He sighed. _I don't understand her._ One moment, she seemed innocent and friendly; the next, she seemed almost disturbing. _And then there's Honedge._ It hadn't dislodged itself from her arm, yet it wasn't living up to the stories told about it. Even if the legends happened to be false, he would've expected it to have released her when she went to bed.

He shook his head. He was fairly certain, at least, that she wouldn't try to kill him. But he didn't know her agenda, or why she was looking into the myths. _Could she be a ghost?_ The thought was interesting, in the least.

Eve stirred. He rested a hand on her back. She settled, trilling with delight. Taylor smiled slightly. _I can keep an eye on Eris for now. But I don't think I'll regret it when we have to part ways._

-**Eris** woke up the next morning to momentary surprise at finding herself in a bed. She shot up, almost believing the whole experience had been a dream.

_ "Hone."_

So much for that.

Eris sighed, looking at the sword pokemon. "Morning."

It blinked, quivering in its sheath.

"What's been going on with you?" She touched its sheath gently. It stopped shaking, but its eye flicked about.

"I see you're up," Taylor said.

Eris whipped around. "Oh. Yeah. Morning."

Taylor nodded. "Good morning to you, too." He gestured toward the door. "I believe the inn has breakfast. Shall we?"

Eris smiled and nodded. They left, finding the breakfast buffet in the main room. They ate in awkward silence.

When breakfast was finished Taylor stood. "Well? Shall we get going?"

"Yeah."

The sunlight blazed outside, wiping away the morning mist. Eris shielded her eyes; while blinded, she realized two men were arguing. "Sir, I don't care _what _papers you have, you can't break open the ruins."

A calmer voice responded, "I'm sorry to cause you distress. However, this matter is of the utmost importance, and I intend to see it through."

Eris blinked. She recognized that voice. Her eyes adjusted, and she saw an exasperated-looking workman. Talking to him was the man who'd helped her collect her luggage at the airport. "Wait a minute." She started over.

"Eris?" Taylor called.

The workman was still arguing. "Important my ass. What've your flunkies done out there? I'm telling you, you can't-"

"Miss Eris. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Eris stopped, surprised. The red-haired man didn't even turn to acknowledge her, continuing to smile amicably at the workman. "Y-yeah," she agreed.

"Don't change the subject!"

The red-haired man lifted a hand. "I understand your concern, but my patience is tiring. If you're so desperate, then take me to court. Until then, we will continue our work."

The workman pulled out a pokeball. "No. I have other ways. Go, Reggie!"

A houndour exploded from the pokeball, snarling angrily.

The red-haired man sighed. "You'll have to excuse me, Miss Eris. I'm afraid I must deal with this. A moment." He stepped forward. Reggie growled, then charged.

The man bent low, placed his hands beneath the houndour's stomach, and flipped him. "I would suggest training your pokemon better."

"Who fights a pokemon with their bare hands?" the worker protested.

"I do, on some occasions. I see no need to tire my companions when a battle's not worth their time."

The worker appeared less-than-pleased, but recalled his houndour and hurried away.

"Eris." Taylor's voice made her jump. "Do you know him?"

"Yes. Well, kind of."

The man turned. "Forgive me. I don't believe I introduced myself properly last we met. I'm Lysandre."

"Lysandre?" Taylor's eyes widened. "Professor Sycamore's apprentice? Hailey talks about you frequently."

"Hailey?" Eris asked.

"A friend of mine."

"And how is college going, Miss Eris?"

Eris started, then rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "I-it's going fine."

Taylor frowned. "You're in college?"

"Y-yeah. That's why I'm looking up the myths. For a research project."

"I see. You're teacher sent you here?"

"Yeah."

"Really."

Eris wondered why he sounded disbelieving, then belatedly realized she'd told him her boss had sent her. "My teacher is _technically _my boss."

Taylor's expression darkened. Eve, on his shoulder, wilted, looking uncertain.

"If you're interested in Kalos's myths," Lysandre interjected, "perhaps you'd like to come with me to the site of the ruins?"

"You'd let us?" Eris exclaimed.

"Perhaps for a bit." He eyed Taylor. "I'm not sure I can take both of you, though."

Taylor frowned. "Is there a reason?"

"My subordinates are somewhat uncomfortable around outsiders. They may manage with only one, but two is out of the question."

"And you'll take Eris."

"I'm sorry, my boy. But of the two, she is the only one I know at all."

"I see." Taylor pressed his lips flat. He dipped his head. "I'll leave you two, then." He turned and left.

"Did you have to do that?" Eris protested.

"My dear, it was an unfortunate necessity."

Eris murmured, "Great. He probably hates me now."

"He may be understandably off-put. But I'm sure it's not long lasting. Now, the ruins?"

Eris sighed, remembering Yveltal's instructions. "Yeah. I'll come."

Lysandre led the way. Eris nearly jumped out of her skin when they came to the monument. She skittered away, keeping Lysandre between her and it. If he noticed, he didn't comment.

They came to the site of the ruins. The man and woman in red were now surrounded by a multitude of copies. Eris paused, blinking, rubbing her eyes. _Am I seeing double?_

"Miss Eris, meet my team," Lysandre said with a touch of pride.

One of the men looked up and jumped. He jabbed a finger toward Eris. "It's you! What are you doing back?"

Lysandre looked at her in surprise. "You've met?"

"Um, yeah."

Lysandre looked displeased for some reason. He looked at the man. "She's hear on my request."

"_You're _request, Lysandre, sir?"

"Of course."

"Then where's that kid that was with her?"

"He couldn't make it."

Eris shot a curious glance at the man. _This is weird. Something seems kind of, I don't know, off about this guy._ She tried to shrug the feeling away.

_ "Hone. Honedge."_

Honedge tapped her arm. She jumped, almost having forgotten about the sword pokemon. "You're scared again?" she whispered.

Honedge's eye was wide, its pupil hardly visible. It shook. _What in the world is-_

She hardly had time to finish her thought when something flashed out of the corner of her eye. She whipped around and saw a familiar shock of white. She stiffened.

Lysandre followed her gaze. "An absol. How interesting."

"Not really."

"They're said to show up before a natural disaster happens. Are you expecting any disasters, Miss Eris?"

While the words may have been said in jest, Eris stiffened.

_ "You will become a natural disaster in my place."_

It seemed as if Yveltal stood right behind her, whispering the words.

Absol stared at her, eyes burning. It didn't attack, simply stood and observed. Its eyes narrowed; an unspoken threat.

Screeches sounded above. "Noivern?" Eris breathed.

"Indeed."

Absol growled, its scythe glinting in the sun, then turned and raced away. The noivern followed, their shrieks dying in the distance.

"Man," the red-suited worker said. "I didn't think noivern lived around here. Learn something new everyday."

"You'd be surprised," Lysandre agreed. He looked at Eris. "Shall we?"

Eris looked at him, then back at where Absol had stood. _If it had attacked again, would I have been able to defend myself?_ She thought of Lysandre, and the ease with which he flipped the houndour. _Okay. I get it. I need to be like that. I need to learn how to fight. Those training sessions with Eon weren't enough._ She sucked in a breath. Her hand wrapped around Honedge's hilt.

"Miss Eris?"

"Yeah. Let's go see the ruins." But first, she had to find Xerneas.

** -Absol **dodged a pulse of light. He growled under his breath. "I wasn't going to attack!" he barked.

The noivern responded by shooting another dragon pulse.

Absol focused on the path ahead, using his hearing to track the noiverns' path. _Alright. So I have to shake them._ He ducked through the trees, then twisted and jumped, balancing on a branch. Lightning charge around his scythe. He shot from the branch, his blade cutting through the air, the lightning released in a wide arc. The noivern screeched, flying higher.

Absol landed on the forest floor. Wind gathered around him, ripping at the grass and bark. He howled, the razor wind released, shooting upward. The noivern protested as they were forced apart. _Will that give me enough time?_ He sprinted in the opposite direction.

One of the dragons landed in front of him. He growled, his blade glowing purple. He ducked between his opponent's legs, spinning to cut both legs. The noivern cried in pain. Absol continued running.

Talons found his back. He gritted his teeth, frustrated, and charged his lightning.

"Ain't going to work, buddy. I know that trick, and unless you want to drop, you should stop."

Absol recognized the noivern's voice. "It's you again."

"Of course. I'm in charge of the girl, much as I don't want to be."

"Then put me down. I was only planning on observing."

"I'll believe that when, well, _you _fly."

"I am, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Har, har." The noivern scowled. "I should really just kill you. It'd save me and the master quite a few headaches."

Absol didn't plan on letting that happen. He twisted, sinking his teeth into the noivern's leg. The dragon howled, releasing Absol from his grip. Absol dangled there, clinging with his teeth. Then he spun, planted his feet against the noivern's leg, and kicked off. Wind whipped around him. Through blurry eyes he charged a razor wind, releasing it hastily. The flurry softened his fall, allowing him to land relatively unharmed.

He looked up. The noivern were circling, shouting back and forth to each other in displeasure. _It might be better to retreat for now._ Cursing his luck, he dashed away.

* * *

_That's the end of chapter eight. _

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: **Yes, it is. I guess you'll just have to wait and see what's bothering it.

**LeTantris: **Haha, well, _they _thought it was convincing. And I'm glad you liked the part with the grunts; I know they're designed that way for simplicity's sake, but I figured the other characters wouldn't know that. And I guess you're just going to have to wait and see about Honedge.

_Have any comments? Feel free to drop a review and let me know!_


	9. This is the Mark

_So here's chapter nine. Thank you Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, nexus5117, Kauris Azurai, Pokefan56, and LeTantris for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Nine: This is the Mark**

"Well, Miss Eris," Lysandre said, "what do you think?"

Eris's hand tightened around Honedge's hilt. The ruin's door had been removed. She stared into unending darkness. Honedge quaked by her side. "It looks, um, dark."

Lysandre chuckled. "Yes, I suppose that is an apt observation. But what is truly interesting is what's inside." He gestured, and she followed him.

Her arm burned. Honedge quaked, its shaking almost freeing it from her grip. Lysandre stopped. "Is something wrong?"

She realized she'd stopped moving. "No. It's nothing." She willed her legs to move.

The further they moved inside the ruins, the more Eris began to feel uneasy. Her Mark burned more fiercely. Whispers tickled the insides of her ears; air raised hairs along her neck. Honedge continued its shaking. She began to understand what would make it feel uneasy.

As the long, solid stretch of gray rock began to end, the whispers grew louder. Her breath hissed out between her teeth, her hand flying to her Mark. If Lysandre noticed, he showed no sign.

_ Something's coming._ She knew, though she couldn't say how.

They stepped into a wide, circular room.

** -Absol **stiffened. His horn tingled; he could practically feel it shaking. _No. This isn't good._ Panic almost overwhelmed him; then he shook it off and sprinted back towards Geosenge.

The noivern wheeled overhead, screeching in alarm. He growled. "I don't have time to deal with you!" A razor wind ripped through the treetops, tearing leaves and branches free. The noivern backed away, alarm tinting their cries.

Absol continued, going as fast as his legs would carry him.

** -Eris's **shoulders sagged. "It's empty."

"Not empty." Lysandre gestured to the large device that stood in the room's center.

"Oh. Well, yeah." _But that's not Xerneas. Is it?_ In hindsight, she wished she'd asked Yveltal what Xerneas looked like.

But something was wrong. Aside from the device, the room was still relatively empty. Yet her Mark still burned, and Honedge still seemed terrified.

"It's a terrifying sight, isn't it?"

Eris jumped. "Hm?"

Lysandre smiled a sad sort of smile. "This object. This place. It's unnatural, is it not?"

"Taylor said this place was the site of a war."

"It was. The last major war that Kalos was in."

"Oh."

"They say the king himself led that battle."

"Yeah."

"Did you know I'm related to him?'

"Y-wait, what?"

Lysandre looked amused. "I have a particular connection to the former king. As such, I have an interest in these ruins. But," he looked at the device, "I wonder what this was used for?"

Eris had no answer. She walked forward, lifting a hand.

_ "Hone!"_

She came to an abrupt halt when Honedge tugged on her arm. "Honedge?"

_ "Hone, honedge!"_

The sword pokemon had discarded its sheath, its blade now attempting to dig into stone. "What's wrong?"

"Maybe it's afraid," Lysandre offered. "You could hardly blame it."

Eris looked at the strange object. "But there's nothing to be frightened of. Right?" The voice hissed through her ear. She shrugged it off, resting her hand against the figure.

Her body locked in place. Her Mark seemed to screech. Her vision turned red. The voice, once a whisper, became clear, ripping through her ears and filling her mind:

_ Fire. Life. Death. So much death. Death, death, death…_

She wanted to cover her ears, but couldn't. Images flickered across her eyes, of Yveltal, and another - _Xerneas_ - and a man, and fire. So much fire.

Then her mind went blank.

** -Honedge** began to panic when Eris's Mark glowed red. It squinted its eye shut, unable to see past the blinding light.

Suddenly, it realized they were moving. Its eye flicked open, realizing the light was bearable now. Eris's eyes had become blank, solid blocks of red that reflected but didn't see. The Mark emitted smoke, as if it were burning through her arm. Honedge winced; the heat hurt its cloth.

Sunlight enveloped them. Eris's hand wrapped tighter around its hilt. A familiar feeling, of bloodlust and battle and fire, rose beneath its steal. It almost panicked.

Then Eris swung it. The trees and ground and people blurred. Red and black streaks whipped like wind. Trees collapsed; people fell; the ground turned red. For a moment, so did Honedge's vision. It quaked, delighting in battle.

Then it stopped, horrified. _Get out, get out, get out._ It tugged Eris's arm. _Please, please, please. No more. I don't want to be that anymore._

But Eris wasn't listening. Eris wasn't there.

She took off. Their surroundings blurred. Obstacles moved for them.

A town. Geosenge. _Not here, not here, please, anywhere but here._

A house fell. Honedge realized after a moment another of those red-and-black slashes had been the cause. People screamed; had they been caught?

Fear and pleasure. Horror and delight. Honedge wanted to run.

And Eris did. Further into the town. And, finally, Honedge gave up.

** -Absol **exploded into Geosenge. "Enough!"

The human girl turned. Honedge blocked his scythe faster than he had time to register. He fell back, growling. _Something's wrong._ _Is this the power of being Marked?_

The girl swung. He blocked. The screech of the honedge against his scythe hurt his ears. He growled, shaking under the pressure. _I guess I don't have time to play._ His scythe glowed and grew; he jumped away, performing sword dance's spin and slashing down quickly.

He was met with a burst of black and red energy. He yelped. Pain seared him; he could hardly see as he was flung backwards.

He hit the ground and remained stunned for a moment. When he caught his breath and his vision stopped flickering, he was able to stand.

More energy. He saw it gathering around the girl and the honedge, focusing around the Mark. _If I hit it, will it do anything?_ It was worth a shot. He charged forward, gathering wind around him, hoping to push through the burst of energy that was certain to come.

It did. He released his razor wind the instant it did, hoping it would open enough of a path for him to break through. For a moment, the energy dispersed to either side of him, ripping at houses and scenery, but allowing a small tunnel for his use.

Then it began to close in. _No!_ He snarled, pushing through. His body seemed battered, mutilated. But his momentum allowed him to slide past, his scythe swiping low. He managed to hit the outside of the Mark.

Nothing happened. He howled, lightning surrounding his scythe. _Fine! I'll kill her, if that's how it is. To hell with the Mark._

Honedge slashed. Absol attempt to parry, but was instead sent flying.

A screech rent the air. Absol just had time to see a noivern descending before his world went dark.

_** -Destroy.**__ Destroy. Destroy._ She lifted her head. Something was coming. She slashed. The Power surged upward. A screech. Two objects circled. So did she. The Power followed.

The Voice. It wanted revenge. It wanted mercy. She'd give it them.

Something against her shoulder. Smooth, cool.

_ Eris gasped. The burning fled. Her vision cleared. There were houses, fallen; the ground was torn apart. "What…has…?"_

Pain. Pain. Pain. Destroy what causes the pain.

Her arm burned. Her head ached.

And then there was nothing. Something like cool water trickled beneath her skin and soothed the agitated Mark. For a moment, she believed she saw a woman with black hair and a kind smile.

Claws wrapped around her shoulders. Wind buffeted her as she was lifted into the sky.

** -Taylor **stared. "What did…how did this…?"

Eve, on his shoulder, seemed to be as at a loss as he was.

One side of Geosenge, near the sight of the ruins, the houses were destroyed. The ground looked like some giant pokemon had torn its claws through it, leaving deep furrows patterned with various shades of brown and gray. One of the fallen buildings was ablaze.

Taylor shook himself out of his stupor. "Come on, Eve." He hurried to one of the fallen houses. "Is anyone in there?" He braced himself against a pillar, but it wouldn't even budge. He slumped back, panting. "We only left for a short time. How could so much have happened?"

A shaky, angry voice startled him. "You."

He turned to see the inn keeper, her finger shivering as she pointed accusingly at him. "You're alright. What happened here?"

The inn keeper looked half-crazed, her eyes wild, her hair disheveled. "You were with that girl."

"Girl? Do you mean Eris?"

She backed away. "Get out of here. Neither of you are welcome."

"Miss?" Taylor took a step forward, but she ran away before he could speak again.

He shot a questioning look to Eve. The chespin seemed as confused as he was. Then she lifted her head. _"Pin."_

"Hmm?"

Eve leapt off his shoulder, hurrying to a mass of red and white. Taylor followed. Alarm shot through him. "Is that a pokemon?" He bent down, gingerly touching the tender-looking wounds that marred its body. "We'll need to find a center for it. Apparently somewhere else." He pulled out a pokeball.

** -Lysandre** stood at the edge of town. "Sir." One of his men came up behind him. "No one's dead, but we have a few injuries."

"Get them into town. I hear there's an excellent herbalist that lives here, provided that her house wasn't destroyed."

"Right."

As the man hurried away, Lysandre allowed himself a grim smile. "So you were expecting a disaster, Miss Eris." Then the smile fell.

* * *

_Hmm…I almost feel like this chapter had a lot of things happening, but not enough time with them…I'm going to try and make up for that next chapter._

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:** It certainly makes for an interesting connection, no?

**nexus5117: **Thanks you! I'm glad you like it.

**Kauris Azurai: **Haha, I wonder how many of your questions were answered this chapter?

**Pokefan56:** Thank you!

**LeTantris: **Well, it explain part of the reason Honedge was so anxious. I'm glad you liked what I did with Lysandre! Ah, I caught myself doing the here/hear thing again this chapter. Silly similar words…

_What did you think about the chapter? Feel free to let me know!_


	10. That Brings Death

_Merry (early) Christmas, everyone! Thank you Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, Kauris Azurai, LeTantris, and YoshiEmblem for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Ten: That Brings Death**

"I told you!" a voice squawked. "I told you that place was cursed!"

Yveltal lifted his head. Two noivern swooped into his cave. One carried Eris in his claws. He tossed her on the ground, her hair splayed around her, her clothes disheveled. Honedge clattered nearby, its eye half-closed and dulled. Yveltal bent to examine her. "The Mark acted up."

The noivern looked pensive, seeming to sense the words were more a statement than a question. He said anyways, "Yeah. She destroyed part of Geosenge." The dragon shivered. "I'm telling you, you couldn't _pay _me to go back there. Kill me if you want, but I'm not going there again."

"Why would I kill you over something so trivial?" Yveltal nudged Eris. She didn't stir. "Return her to her quarters. When she awakens, I request that she be sent to me."

"Yes, Master." The noivern bowed their heads and left, Eris balanced carefully between them.

** - Absol **awoke to find himself in a building. He jolted. _What is this?_

Hands rested on his side. He winced. _"Easy. You've taken a lot of damage."_

Absol stared. A human woman smiled kindly at him, white covering her frame. She turned, continuing working on something at his side. His breath hissed out between his teeth. His head thudded against the 'bed.'

He examined his surroundings. The walls were a bland yellow. A glass window separated him from another room, this one filled vaguely with what seemed to be pokeballs. _But why am I here?_ He knew that, on occasion, humans would take injured wild pokemon to centers - which is where he assumed he was. But something felt different. He felt tamer; as if he had a connection to something-

_ No._ His eyes widened. _It couldn't be._ He jerked up.

_ "Stay down!"_ the nurse protested.

"Why am I here?" he barked, desperate. "Who brought me?"

He knew the effort was futile; to the nurse, his words probably sound unintelligible.

Someone tapped on the window. _"Looks like he's doing better."_

The nurse looked back. _"Well, he's energetic, at least."_

Absol stared. The boy was stocky, glasses adorning his face, his hair unruly. The 'connection' he felt; it stemmed to this boy. He stopped struggling, a growl rising in his throat. _No. No, no, no!_ Wind whipped around him. The nurse yelped as he released his razor wind, shattering the window.

He was free in an instant, his claws pressing on the boy's shoulders, his face near the human's. "Why did you capture me? Because you were fortunate to find me when I'd been weakened by someone else?"

The boy's eyes were terrified. A chespin appeared from a pokeball. "Don't hurt him, mister," she pleaded.

Absol turned his glare. "I don't appreciate being captured."

The chespin shifted. "He just wanted to help you."

"He could've done that without a pokeball, couldn't he?" Absol released the human, padding away, wincing as he walked.

"Mister! Where are you going?"

_ "Come back! You're still injured!"_

"I'm leaving. I don't have time to be sitting around." He left the building without further obstruction.

** -When **Eris awoke, her head was throbbing. She groaned. "What did-"

_ "Noii."_

Eris blinked. A noivern sat in the cave's entrance. It took her a moment to realize it wasn't Eon. "What are you doing here?"

The noivern tilted its head. It glanced over its shoulder, its throat warbling with a _"Screee!"_

Two more noivern appeared, hovering in front of the cave. They communicated briefly. The noivern still grounded looked expectantly at Eris. She stood, her legs shaky.

_ "…edge…"_

Eris jumped. For a moment, she'd forgotten about Honedge. She lifted the sword pokemon. It looked tired, as out-of-sorts as she was.

A noivern butted her back. She held its leg as it launched itself from the cave, spiraling down the sheer rock face to Yveltal's cave. She traversed the now-familiar paths, stepping into the red glow of the massive pokemon's cavern.

The avian lifted his head. _"Miss Eris. How are you feeling?"_

"Um, like I hit my head."

_ "Perhaps that is to be expected."_ He lifted a claw. _"Here. This was retrieved." _He tossed Honedge's sheath. She hadn't even realized the sword pokemon had been missing it. She helped Honedge slide it on. _"Do you remember what happened?"_

Eris paused. "Um." She scrunched her eyes in thought. "I remember going into some ruins with Lysandre - that's a man I met who was exploring them - and touching something. Then-" She shrugged, her mind a helpless blank.

_ "I see. How fascinating. I didn't imagine memory loss would be associated with such actions. But perhaps that is for the better."_

"Huh?"

_ "Never mind. Miss Eris, your Mark malfunctioned while you were at Geosenge."_

Her arm throbbed. "It did what?"

_ "It's nothing to concern yourself over. But it brings to my attention that you don't yet know how to utilize your Mark."_

"There's a method to that?"

_ "It appears so."_

She realized abruptly that Yveltal sounded just as uncertain as she was. "Is this your first time Marking someone?"

_ "Yes. I never had a reason to before now."_ Yveltal's milky, half-dead eyes narrowed. _"Perhaps we should consider what could trigger it. Miss Eris, could you possibly try and reach for its power?"_

"Reach for its power?"

_ "Yes."_

She realized she'd get no more assistance, and sighed, closing her eyes. _How do I 'reach' for this?_ She frowned, mentally imagining herself sliding into the Mark, grasping its power. Her arm tingled. _Is that good?_ "Okay. Now what?"

_ "See if you can use its power."_

Eris willed, _Power, go._ She scrunched her eyes tighter, listening, willing something to happen.

_ "That is enough."_

Eris opened her eyes. Nothing had changed.

Yveltal looked disgruntled. _"It appears we will have to try something different."_

Honedge shot up. _"Honedge!"_ It flailed its blade.

"Honedge?"

_ "Hmm? You are upset with me?"_

_ "Hone!"_

Eris tilted her head. "What's the matter?"

_ "I'm afraid I couldn't tell you. It seems your companion is angry that I Marked you, but I'm not sure I understand the reason."_

"Companion?" Eris asked dryly.

_ "It is until I can free it from you, Miss Eris."_ Yveltal released a gusty sigh. _"At any rate, do you remember what happened the first time your Mark activated?"_

"I was attacked by an absol."

_ "I see."_ Yveltal paused, a thoughtful look on his face. _"Miss Eris, I think I should advise you to interact with anything relating to Xerneas or I, for the moment. Moreover, be careful when you get into a battle."_

"You think those things are what causes it to activate?"

_ "Yes. At least, that is the theory for the moment. Now," _he examined her, _"did you learn anything of Xerneas's whereabouts?"_

She flushed. "Ah, no. I learned about Kalos's war, but-"

Yveltal exhaled a heavy breath smelling of decay. _"Still no sign."_

Eris swallowed, uncertain. "Um, Yveltal. You said you wanted me to be a natural disaster."

_ "Yes."_

"But why? I mean, you said you were 'created' for it, but why is it…?" She trailed off, uncertain how to finish.

_ "Necessary?"_ A rumble sounded in his throat. _"You wouldn't be the first person to ask."_ He seemed to contemplate his answer. _"Miss Eris, perhaps I have gone about this the wrong way. I will show you what it means to be Oblivion."_

"Show me?"

_ "Yes. You seem to be full of questions today."_

Eris shrugged, looking away.

_ "I may not have much energy, but I believe I have enough to return to the outside world, at least for short periods. But, Miss Eris," _his eyes turned deadly, _"you will still be required to perform the acts required of you."_

She wondered at his change in attitude. "O-okay."

Honedge quivered against her side. _"Hone."_

Yveltal stretched. _"Well. I suppose it will be in our best interest to begin."_

"Now?"

_ "Yes. We cannot afford to waste time."_ Yveltal spread his wings. A sound that resembled bones cracking echoed off the walls. He moved past her, nearly filling the tunnel.

Eris swallowed. She fingered the cell phone in her pocket. _I wonder if Mom got my message?_ She guiltily remembered she'd forgotten to call again. She shook the thought away, following Yveltal.

** -Honedge **tried not to worry about what had happened at Geosenge. That task proved harder than it thought, especially when it came to Yveltal. _Why didn't he tell Eris what she did?_ The answer presented itself easily: she would've broken. Reality, at this point, would be something she'd be unable to cope with.

But Honedge saw this course as foolish. It understood Yveltal was trying to show compassion, but wasn't it better to simply provide the truth? _It _would have no problem revealing the situation.

Then again, it supposed, it was hiding a lot of things, too.

_ And what of this 'Mark training?' Will I lose myself _then_, too?_ Perhaps it simply wanted Eris to know the truth so she'd be so traumatized it'd never have to worry about activating its blood lust again. But it also knew that wasn't what it wanted. _A catatonic partner is no partner at all._ If Eris stopped functioning, it would have to find a new partner. And, truthfully, it had no interest in going on another search.

Honedge was jolted from its thoughts when they arrived in the entrance cave. Yveltal waited at the entrance. _"Are you ready?"_

_ "Yes," _Eris said.

_ "Then hold on. We won't be going far, but we _will _need to descend from the mountain."_

Honedge braced itself. Eris hesitantly latched onto a leg. Honedge dangled a moment before the human picked it up. For that, it was grateful. _I suppose I'll have to deal with the situation. And pray that I won't descend into that state._

Yveltal took off, dragging Honedge and Eris to their fates.

* * *

_And that…was shorter than last chapter. Hmm. Anywho, review responses:_

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: **Haha, I suppose this chapter at least shed SOME light on it.

**Kauris Azurai: **Haha, yes, everyone's a bit clueless right now. Or are they?

**LeTantris: **Yes, Honedge's anxiety was finally (mostly) shown. Glad you like where it's going!

**YoshiEmblem: **Haha, I'm glad I could surprise you.

_As always, if you have anything you want to say, drop a review!_


	11. Trials

_Here's chapter eleven. Thank you LeTantris, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, Y-ko, and jordanobx for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Eleven: Trials**

Eris's mother sat on a bench in Lumiose City. She played back her daughter's message again. _I know you said you're alright, but the college hasn't seen you._ That, combined with her being unable to reach Eris since, had left her very worried. She'd contacted the police, and they'd sent out a 'missing persons' bulletin, but at the moment, there seemed to be nothing else they could do.

Eris's mother shook herself. _I can't sit around doing nothing. I have to find her._

Her phone rang as she stood. "Hello?"

"Rachel, darling! I didn't know you were in Kalos."

Rachel sighed. She talked while walking. "My daughter's supposed to be going to college here."

"Oh, how nice. Well, since you're here, maybe we could have you come and do a speech."

Rachel debated a moment then sighed. "That'd be lovely, I suppose."

"Excellent! When can we-"

Rachel's attention snapped away from the speaker when she caught sight of a newspaper heading. 'GEOSENGE ATTACKED' ran in big, bold letters across the top. She lifted it. "Did you hear anything about an attack?"

"Hmm? Oh, the one in Geosenge? Yes, dreadful, isn't it? I hope that no one's getting the idea that we'll have another war."

"_Another _war?"

"Yes, of course. Kalos has been war-free for centuries."

"So has the rest of the world."

"Except Unova, with that whole 'Plasma' thing. I wonder if someone's going to try and imitate them?"

Rachel finished scanning the article and examined the picture. Though blurry, she could still make out the form of a human.

"Rachel, dear?"

"I have to go."

** -Yveltal **landed in the same clearing Eon had brought her to train. He hunched, wheezing. Eris released his leg, giving him a concerned look. _"I'm fine."_ His coughing subsided and he stood taller. His milky eyes locked on something. _"There. Do you see that?"_

Eris followed his gaze. "A gogoat?"

_ "Watch. And stand back."_

Eris eyed him, but obeyed. She moved back until she'd reached the tree line before Yveltal finally nodded approvingly. An aura of darkness surrounded him. He beat his wings, lifting.

The gogoat noticed him and seemed alarmed. It started to run.

Yveltal dove. The red and black tendrils surrounded him. He crashed into the ground. Eris gripped a tree, closing her eyes and praying she wouldn't be swept away. Honedge removed its sheath and sunk its blade into the bark.

When the shockwaves from the collision died down, Eris released her hold. Honedge pulled itself out and Eris helped it to re-sheath its blade.

_ "Miss Eris. I trust that you are alright?"_

Eris nodded, staring wide-eyed around the clearing. "The grass is dead."

_ "And that is not all."_ Yveltal slid an emaciated, mangled body towards her.

She recognized it as the gogoat and tried not to gag. She looked away, regardless.

_ "You find the destruction distasteful, do you not?"_

She nodded.

_ "Good."_

Eris blinked, whipping around to stare at the avian.

He seemed amused. _"Miss Eris, none should take pleasure in ending the life of another. However, the act is sometimes necessary. By taking the energy from the grass and the gogoat, I was able to restore some of my own."_ He clawed a hole in the ground with one foot. He rolled the gogoat's body inside, then buried it. _"Sometimes a species will overpopulate. Sometimes there will be those who cause more harm then good. Sometimes change is simply needed. Regardless, some force needs to act to correct the balance."_

"And that force is you?'

_ "And now, you."_

Eris swallowed. She thought she'd understood what he'd meant when she'd first agreed; now, she was having doubts.

_ "I understand it's less-than appealing. But, Miss Eris, it has to be done. You may not have the stomach for it yet, but you'll need to learn."_ Something flashed in his eyes. _"Better that a natural disaster cause the destruction than another human or pokemon. If a force of nature destroys things, then no one has blood on their hands, no?"_

"But I'm human."

_ "Not when I Marked you."_ She could see his patience thinning. _"Miss Eris, that Mark gives you power that no normal human or pokemon could attain. I pray I did not make a bad choice. If ever you are to misuse your Mark, or it gets too out of control, I will be obliged to kill you."_

Eris took a step back.

Yveltal reared. _"Now, then. Are you willing to prove you have the strength of character for this?"_

Eris swallowed. She looked at Honedge. "Y-yes."

_ "Good."_ He gestured. _"Out in the forest, two graveler have been running amuck. They've cause significant damage to the landscape and distress to the native pokemon. Your task is to end them."_

She bit back her startled cry of 'end them' and simply nodded.

Honedge began quivering.

_ "I expect you to return to this clearing once you've finished. I will send Eon to check periodically."_ He beat his wings, stirring dust. He flew back towards the mountain.

Eris watched, then took a deep breath. "Well, let's go, Honedge."

The sword pokemon pulled back. _"Hone."_

"Honedge, we don't have much choice."

_ "Hone!"_

"You don't have to stay attached to me, you know."

The pokemon quieted.

Eris took a steadying breath, then began into the forest.

** -Absol's **horn began tingling. His head lifted. _Something else?_ He felt worn, dejected, and, at the moment, just wanted to sleep. _Let someone else take care of it for once._

He remembered hearing that phrase repeated before. He cringed. _I'm not like them. How can I turn my back?_ Slowly, reluctantly, he turned, hating himself for going, hating himself for wanting not to.

-**"Lysandre, **there you are!"

Lysandre sighed, rubbing his aching head. "Yes? Did you need me for something?"

A grunt said, "Where are we heading to next?"

Lysandre sighed, looking over Geonsenge's wreckage. "I don't know. This was our best lead." He snapped to attention. "The weapon was here. That, at the very least, counts for something. And Miss Eris had a nasty reaction from touching it."

"Oh. That's what happened."

"Yes." He cupped his chin. "But she stopped. What caused that?"

"I, um, don't know?"

"Gather some other grunts. Have them search around Geosenge."

"Yes, sir!"

When he left, Lysandre wondered, _Now, then, what other places have historical significance with the war?_ _The castle, perhaps?_ Yes, that would work. Provided he didn't run into the wandering king. A sneer curled his features. _I will fix the mistakes you have made._

_ "Dragoooon!"_

A dragonite soared overhead. It landed amidst the wreckage, stirring dust and scattering people. A well-dressed woman with blond hair slid from its back. "Thank you, Garcia." The dragonite crooned. The woman returned it to its pokeball.

"A dragonite," Lysandre said. "Not a common pokemon in Kalos."

The woman eyed him. "No. It's not." She examined the town. Her eyes expression became unreadable. "I heard this place got hit by something."

"Yes. I was here for it."

"You were?" The woman suddenly seemed frantic. "You didn't see a young girl around here, did you?"

Lysandre considered her. "Yes. But you'll have to be more specific. There are many young girls I could have seen."

"She looks similar to me, but in baggier clothes. Her eyes are brown instead of gray."

"Ah." He paused, weighing his options. "Yes, I believe I've seen this girl."

"You have? Is she okay?"

"Yes. At least, she was, the last I'd seen her. Eris is her name, yes?"

"Yes! That's her! What was she doing here?"

"She was here for the ruins. An assignment from a professor, I believe."

"Oh?" The woman suddenly seemed suspicious. "The college said she never arrived."

"Well, perhaps they misinformed you." He bowed. "Forgive me, but I don't believe I've introduced myself. I am Lysandre. And you, my lady?"

"Rachel."

"It is an honor to meet you, Miss Rachel." He rose.

Rachel appeared un-flattered and unmoved. "Do you know where Eris went?"

"I'm afraid I can't give that information out on a whim, miss."

"You already know that I know her."

"I _presume _you do. However, the facts remain that I do not know you well enough to confirm." He smiled kindly. "Perhaps you should return to Lumiose. Professor Sycamore may know more than I. If you go to the lab and give him my name, he'd be incline to help."

"How'd you know the college was in Lumiose?"

"I met her when she arrived."

Rachel seemed less than comfortable. She lifted a pokeball.

Lysandre chuckled. "My lady, I'm afraid that would be a mistake."

"Are you saying you're a trainer?"

"Of a sort. But I can assure you, my companions will have no need of battling."

She seemed to realize what he was implying and lowered her pokeball.

"Now, then. I have some clean up to do. Feel free to do what you like." He bowed again, then walked past her.

A pokeball opened, and wing beats scattered the air. Lysandre couldn't help feeling relieved the woman had taken his advice and left. _But she could prove troublesome._ The dragonite appeared as a speck in the sky. _At least Sycamore should keep her busy._

* * *

_That's it for chapter eleven! Review responses:_

**LeTantris:** Yeah, Absol's probably going to have some issues with that. As for Eris finding out, well…I guess only time will tell. But she probably has a _slight _idea, at least.

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: **Yay!

**Y-ko: **I thought you were reviewing the latest chapter and was very confused for a moment. ^^; But thanks for letting me know! I'll see if I can avoid making the same mistake in future chapters.

**jordanobx: **I'm glad you like it so far! As for other legendaries…I don't really expect them to appear (well, in-person [pokemon?] at least), but then again, my stories tend to surprise me more often than not, so there is a slight possibility.

_Like anything about this chapter? Hate something about it? Let me know by typing it in that little box down there!_


	12. Duty

_Here's chapter twelve. Thank you Antex-The Legendary Zoroark and LeTantris for reviewing last chapter!_

**Chapter Twelve: Duty**

Eris took a steadying breath. _It's okay. Relax. You can do this._ She realized she was shaking as much as Honedge. She leaned against a tree with a groan. _Oh, how can I do this?_ She shook the thought away. _No. Yveltal said he'd help me, plus, he Marked me. I _have _to do this._ She continued.

Gloom settled over the forest. Colors and sounds were muted. Eris's shoes crunched over brittle grass. _I don't know what he was worried about, _she thought. _It's not very lively, but I don't see any-_

She stopped. A section of the forest had been destroyed, trees knocked over, their roots rising into the air, the ground marred, dirt and grass and ferns intermixed in great furrows that, were it not for the wide beginnings, would have resembled giant claw marks. Eris stared. After a moment, all she could say was, "Oh."

_ "Honedge."_

She touched Honedge's sheath. She stepped into a furrow, walking slowly. "This is what the graveler have done, huh?" She shook herself. She thought she saw something red beneath a tree. She decided she didn't want to see what it was.

Footsteps broke the silence. Eris paused, staring. White streaked with pink and red flashed between the trees. She managed to get a glance of the face. _Absol?_ She frowned. _What happened to it? Why does it look so beat up?_ Another question arose: was it here because of the graveler, or her? If it was looking for her, then it'd be best to stay hidden.

She climbed back to the forest. She checked for signs of Absol and, finding none, moved forward, using trees for coverage. She kept the furrows visible, hoping they'd lead her to the graveler.

Sounds allowed her to find them instead. Cries and something like chuckles echoed from the trees. Frowning, she followed them.

She stopped behind a tree. One graveler, grinning wickedly, held a pikachu down with its foot. "There's one of them," Eris whispered. She glanced at Honedge. It had ceased shaking, a light in its eye. She steadied herself. "Alright. Let's do this."

Honedge removed its sheath with a flourish. Eris stepped out. "Hey. Mister Graveler."

The graveler looked up. She wondered briefly if it was actually female. _Stupid! Don't think about that now!_ "Leave the pikachu alone. And the forest, too."

The gravler eyed her a moment, the look obviously questioning her sanity. Then it began laughing, the sound grating.

"I'm serious! If not, I'll have to, ah, 'end' you."

The graveler laughed harder.

Eris sighed. "I guess I'm not really that intimidating, am I?"

_ "Hone."_

She looked at the laughing graveler. She remembered Yveltal's words. She tried to ignore the heaviness in her chest. "Swords dance." Honedge spun her, its blade glowing. She lunged.

Honedge's blade swept relatively harmlessly across the graveler's surface. It stopped laughing, fixing her with a somewhat-annoyed glare. Eris braced herself. _Not enough. What other moves can honedge learn?_

The graveler reached for her. She parried. "Um, night slash!"

Honedge's eye rolled towards her. It looked exasperated.

"Not yet?"

_ "Hon."_

The graveler threw her backwards. She landed hard, then scrambled back to her feet.

She was nearly run over by a giant stone. She shifted and, abruptly, realized graveler was using roll out. _Oh, crap. Uh, okay. How do I react to this?_ She couldn't stop it, but maybe she could dodge it?

An idea came to mind. The graveler turned back. _Please, let this work._ "Honedge, swords dance!"

Honedge obeyed. Its blade glowed further, spinning, bringing them safely-though just barely-out of harm's way. The graveler spun around, sending up dirt a few moments. Eris swallowed and steeled herself. _Don't be scared. Just focus. _"Swords dance!"

Honedge spun. They moved away. Eris stumbled, nearly losing her footing.

The gravler came back faster. It nicked her back.

She swallowed and caught herself. _Don't panic. Don't panic. Just one more._

The graveler returned faster. "Swords da-"

She didn't get the chance to complete the command. Honedge tugged her away, but the graveler still grazed her. She ended up on the ground, panting, shaking, while the graveler rolled to a stop, uncurling. _I could have died._ The thought made the situation more real, more frightening.

She stood, her legs shaking. The graveler stared, a wicked smile curling its lips. _I have to think of some way to fight it. But how?_ She looked at Honedge. _Wait. Swords dance increases attack power. _

The graveler ran and jumped into a roll. Eris swallowed. _Alright. Let's try._ She moved aside and swung Honedge. Its blade clanged against the graveler's rocky side. This time, however, the stone-like hide gave, if slightly. The graveler cried out, its attack ended, its legs crashing into the ground. It lifted an arm and stared, almost incredulously, at the cut.

Eris reminded herself she didn't have time to stand around feeling triumphant. She dashed forward, swinging Honedge. The gravler lifted a hand to block. Its fingers wrapped around the sword pokemon's blade. The skin cracked beneath the glowing sword, an odd-looking liquid-_Is that its blood?_-seeping from the wound. The graveler made a face, then twisted its body, swinging both away. It released, and they flew. Eris managed to land on her feet, skidding backwards, struggling to keep her footing.

The ground shook. Eris feel to a knee. She used Honedge to keep her from falling completely. The second graveler had arrived. It hurried to its companion, examining its wounds. The former waved it off.

Eris watched them, a sense of curiosity filling her. _Maybe they're not so bad._ Then they turned to her, identical smirks on their faces, and she swallowed hard. _But now I'm-_we're_-in trouble._

_ "Honedge."_

Honedge's eye gleamed with something odd. Whatever it was, it was something she knew would help them win. "Alright," she agreed.

_ "Hone!"_

"Swords dance!"

Rocks flew towards them while they spun. They made it around as they reached them. Honedge parried them, partially cutting, partially deflecting the strikes. A screech emanated from the blade pokemon. "You okay?"

_ "Hone."_

She took that as a yes and kicked off. Her swipe met one graveler's hand. She pushed against it, gritting her teeth, then slid away when the other appeared, barely avoiding getting punched. She tried slicing the graveler's legs, but was almost merged with the ground for her trouble.

Eris backpedaled, watching them warily. _What now? Is there some way to outsmart them?_ She frowned and noted the loosened dirt. _Maybe an improvised sand attack?_

One graveler sprang into a roll out. She moved aside, allowing it to roll past, and charged. She swept Honedge through the ground, flicking it. Dirt sprayed the other graveler's eyes. It protested, stumbling and rubbing its eyes. Eris took the opportunity to cut one of its arms. Honedge dug deep; the rock-type's odd blood pooled from it. Eris swallowed bile.

_ "Graveler!"_

The ground shook. Eris fell, but Honedge remained wedged in the other graveler's arm. She dangled there, trying to find her footing. The graveler furthest from her charged before its attack ended.

A blur appeared. Eris hardly had time to register the strike. The graveler stumbled, stopped, its eyes wide. Then it fell. Absol stood where it once did, panting, eyes tired.

Eris stared. "A-Absol?"

Absol growled. _"Sol!"_

She realized its warning when she caught the other graveler's lifted arm in her peripheral vision. She ducked beneath the arm Honedge was still lodged in. Honedge and the graveler both screeched in protest. "Sorry," she whispered. She tugged Honedge's hilt. It came free. She fell.

The graveler ran to its companion. She watched it bend down, trying to help the other up. Something inside her broke. Her shoulders sank. _And I have to kill them?_

Absol stepped towards them. _"Sol. Ab ab, sol."_

The graveler that still stood-_was alive?_- bent closer to its companion.

Eris stood. "Wait!" She hurried to block Absol's scythe. It jumped back, looking startled, angry, and…fearful? She shook her head. "Don't hurt them."

It examined her, its expression disbelieving. It barked something.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. But if you're telling me to move, I'm not going to." She wondered where this came from, the strength to keep standing.

_ "Hone, honedge!"_

Honedge seemed as angry as the absol. She wondered why.

Absol stepped towards her threateningly. Suddenly it stopped, its eyes wide. _"Absol!"_

She wondered what upset it. Then she saw the shadow. She turned.

The remaining graveler stood over her, arm raised, an angry sneer on its face. It swung.

So did she. Without thinking, she'd lifted her arm. Honedge's blade cut into the rocky skin, resisting a moment, then making its way through. The graveler stared, still, shocked. Eris stared back. Honedge remained lodged half-way through the pokemon's stomach, odd, dark blood dripping around it.

The graveler began to fall. The spell broke. Eris scrambled back, freeing Honedge. The graveler collapsed, its legs sprawled unceremoniously over its companion, its four arms splayed, dirt rising from the impact.

Eris's mind went blank. She struggled to make it work again. She recognized the graveler; she recognized the blood on Honedge. She couldn't connect the two.

She nudged the pokemon, hesitantly. It didn't move. She noticed it wasn't breathing.

Reality set in, and she almost panicked. Her chest tightened and her breathing came quicker. She tried to rationalize it; she tried to say it was Honedge acting on its own. But it was her.

She sat down. She used a hand to steady herself. She noticed absently Absol had left.

After a moment, something calm, something cold, settled over her. _I see._ She'd tried showing mercy. It had backfired. If she'd died, there would still be a graveler, running amuck, hurting others. _So this is what he meant._

* * *

…_Well. That chapter was shorter than I thought it'd be. But, anywho, on to review responses:_

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: **Hmmm, I guess you'll have to wait and see.

**LeTantris: **Yeah; he figured that might be the best way to introduce her to it. Just get out with the truth and let things happen as they may. An Zygarde may make an appearance, but perhaps not in the way you'd expect.

_Anything you'd like to tell me about this chapter? I'd love it if you'd leave a review._


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